Taking Care Of Yourself After Being Injured By Uninsured Motorists
Considering the number of motorists not giving their full attention to the road these days, it’s possible for someone who is texting and driving, changing the radio station or even talking on a smartphone with hands-free equipment to cause a distracted driving accident. In that case, if you live in Florida, you typically turn to your own insurance company for help, because it is a “no-fault” state, and suing another driver for compensation can be challenging.
If you are injured by an uninsured motorist and your own insurance, including your personal injury protection (PIP) policy, cannot cover your medical bills or other critical needs, then you will need representation from our experienced personal injury attorney at the Kimsey Law Firm, P.A.. Serving clients in the state for 30 years, he is well versed in Florida insurance laws and the best strategies for delivering the compensation you need to recover after a motor vehicle accident.
What Are Your Options If You Were Injured By An Uninsured Motorist?
In our state, every motorist (except motorcycle owners) is required to carry a minimum of $10,000 in PIP coverage. Clients who are hit by uninsured or underinsured motorists have several paths that they can travel to receive the compensation they need for medical and economic losses. These include the following:
- Ask your insurance company to cover your losses: This is how the system was intended to work, and it can be fine if you bought enough coverage to cover hospital bills, rehabilitation care, occupational retraining and other expenses. But, for a serious or catastrophic collision, your needs can easily exceed your policy limits.
- Sue the uninsured driver: While drivers who carry the required insurance normally cannot be asked to have their insurance pay for your injuries, state law declares that uninsured drivers have no immunity from tort actions and can be required to pay your PIP benefits (instead of your insurance company).
Some proactive ways to protect yourself from this situation in the future include:
- Purchase uninsured motorist insurance.
- Purchase underinsured motorist insurance.
- Consider adding/increasing collision insurance limits on your own policy to ensure that your own care is repaired or replaced.
Talk To Our Lawyer About Uninsured Motorist Claims Today
Our attorney can guide you through your best options when dealing with an accident caused by an uninsured motorist. Call us at 813-867-2179 or email the firm to set up an appointment with him. He serves clients across the Tampa Bay area from our offices in Tampa.