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Florida Legislative Changes To Insurance Laws You Must Know About

The Florida House continues to press forward to eliminate the state’s no-fault auto insurance in spite of the arguments that the number of lawsuits and rates will increase if it passes. A similar proposal, SB 378, has come to a standstill in the Florida Senate. Eliminating the no-fault system has lawmakers and people in the insurance and health care industries concerned.

How Florida’s Current No-Fault Insurance Works


In the state of Florida, all motorists are required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. This covers the first $10,000 of damages you incur in a motor vehicle accident, even if the other driver was at fault. Your PIP covers items such as medical expenses and loss of income. You must, however, pay your deductible first. Florida law only covers 80% of your medical bills up to the $10,000 coverage.

Florida’s No-Fault System Is Unjust To Drivers


The primary reason today’s no-fault laws are unfair to Florida drivers is that they make you the person responsible for paying a certain amount of your own injuries and damages, even if the other driver was responsible for the accident. When you take into the consideration that 26% of Florida drivers are uninsured and that Florida is one of the most accident-prone states in the nation, changes need to be made, but they will not come without legislation. According to Bankrate, Florida has the third highest rate of insurance in the United States. This is in part due to the state’s current legally mandated insurance, totaling more than one billion across the state of Florida that you are paying, so drivers who are responsible for accidents can pay less.

Can I Sue Under Florida’s No-Fault System?


The purpose of PIP insurance is to make all insurance claims easier. In an accident, you would file your personal injury claim to your own insurance. What that means is that as a Florida driver, you are self-insured for your personal injuries. Because the current maximum PIP coverage is $10,000, chances are that if you have been seriously injured, $10,000 won’t even come close to covering your bills and lost wages. If this occurs, you can seek to recover your losses through alternative means, and for many, that means litigation.

Suing Under Florida’s No-Fault Law Requires Professional Help


The road to recovery not just physically but also financially may not be so easy for Floridians seeking to recover damages through litigation. With the implementation of PIP, your ability to use the court system to recover damages is less clear. In some cases, it may be barred simply because PIP was specifically designed to avoid any legal matters by providing immediate medical coverage and allowing personal injury lawsuits only under certain circumstances. This serves to only emphasize the need for a qualified personal injury attorney with a proven track record of success and full knowledge of Florida’s current no-fault insurance laws.

If you have been injured in an auto accident through no fault of your own, it is imperative that you contact a personal injury attorney right away to make sure your interests are protected. Michael Babboni, The St. Pete Lawyer, has your back. He has recovered millions of dollars for his client over his 27 years of practicing personal injury law in Florida. He knows all the aspects of Florida’ no-fault insurance laws and has the resources and experience to take your case to trial if needed. You deserve to have a team on your side that will ensure you get the compensation you deserve. We are that team.