What You Should Know About Seeking A Personal Injury Lawsuit After A Florida Car Accident
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
Florida is a unique state when it comes to insurance laws and your ability to seek compensation in the St. Petersburg area after an accident has occurred. Personal injury protection is a requirement in the state of Florida, and it covers a driver and their passengers’ injuries whether or not the accident is deemed the fault of their negligence. With personal injury protection, it’s a driver’s insurance policy that is set to cover their injuries and subsequent damages, but only up to a certain point.If the cost of your damages exceeds what your personal injury protection will cover, and the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, the possibility of a lawsuit then opens up. Accidents that cause serious injuries, life altering injuries, or significant scarring can turn into lawsuit cases in the state of Florida, but there are a few things that drivers should know before seeking a personal injury lawsuit after their St. Petersburg area car accident.
The Important Information Surrounding Personal Injury Lawsuits After A Florida Accident
A few important pieces of information need to be kept in mind if you plan to seek a lawsuit to cover extensive damages after a Florida car accident. These are:
• Have you suffered a permanent injury? – In order to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit after an accident, one has to have suffered what is considered a permanent injury. According to Florida Statue 627.737, injuries have to cause irreversible loss of bodily function, significant disfigurement or scarring, or result in death. However, if your personal injury protection covers less than 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost wages, you may also pursue a lawsuit to cover the differences if you choose.
• Your time is limited – It’s also important to remember that your time is limited when it comes to filing a lawsuit to cover extensive damages through a personal injury lawsuit. In the state of Florida, all personal injury lawsuits must be filed in under 4 years from the date of your accident, but the sooner is always better. In some instances, a person may not realize that their accident has caused permanent injury straight away, and as long as it’s been less than 4 years from the date of your accident, you may file at any point within this statute of limitations time frame. Filing sooner provides more proof that your injuries are the result of the accident, and not a hidden unrelated injury, so making filing a priority is always recommended.
• Seeking a skilled attorney brings great value to your case – While a skilled Florida personal injury attorney may seem like a big investment for some, it’s one that really pays for itself throughout your personal injury case. With an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorney by your side, your chances of winning your case are exponentially higher, and your ability to seek greater compensation rises as well. The higher payout pays for the attorney’s help, and you get peace of mind that your chances of winning your case and obtaining compensation is a highly realistic goal.
The Compensation You Need To Move Forward
After a serious accident in Florida, moving forward can be difficult to do. With the prolonged need for medical care, ongoing appointments, and a change in your quality of life, it might seem impossible that your life will ever go back to being the happy and positive place it once was. With a skilled Florida personal injury attorney by your side, you can get back on the road to real recovery with the compensation you need to truly move forward.