Personal injury attorneys understand the impact of a car accident in Florida. It can cause serious injuries and leave victims with life-long struggles. Our team at Terrell Hogan can provide experienced representation for your case to help you recover the maximum amount of compensation possible for your losses and injuries.
After being involved in an accident, feeling scared and overwhelmed is not unusual. You may be injured and your vehicle seriously damaged. Once you have spoken to the police and received medical care, you may wonder – what’s next?
For most people, the next thought is how much compensation they can receive for their situation. Unfortunately, there’s no “average” settlement amount. That’s because each case is unique, and therefore different factors dictate the compensation awarded.
What you receive for your Florida car accident claim can vary greatly from what other accident victims receive. This is because factors like the severity of your injuries, how the accident occurred, and the insurance policies involved will impact the compensation.
While this can be frustrating to hear, especially if you need extensive and expensive medical treatment and are dealing with property loss, our Florida car accident lawyer can help. We can evaluate your claim and all the contributing factors to help you better understand what your case may be worth.
You can also learn more about what’s considered in a car accident settlement here. Having the facts will help you know what to expect in the car accident settlement process. While the process can seem overwhelming at first, our legal team is ready to help.
Factors That Impact Your Car Accident Settlement Amount
Figuring out how much money you can receive after a Florida car accident depends on the specifics of the situation. Your situation may seem like a serious car accident to you but minor to someone else. This is somewhat subjective.
While this is true, minor accidents with no injuries will likely result in a lower settlement than accidents that cause serious damage to your vehicle or property, injuries, or fatalities.
Based on Florida law, if you are involved in a car accident, you must contact the authorities right away if any of the following have occurred:
- Property damage that exceeds $500
- Personal injuries
- Death
Unfortunately, there are many people who are involved in a minor accident but fail to call the authorities. This can happen for several reasons, based on the people involved and the situation. Even if you don’t contact the authorities after an accident, you still need to document all accident-related damages and injuries. You should also get contact information from all drivers involved.
Some of the other information in need to gather if you want to file a Florida car accident claim includes:
- Repair or replacement for your vehicle
- Accident-related medical costs
- Estimated costs for ongoing or continued care (if you experienced a chronic or permanent injury)
- Additional financial losses
The information listed here plays an important role in figuring out the amount of money you can receive from your car accident claim.
What’s Considered When Determining the Value of Your Car Accident Claim?
With a general search, you will find that the average car accident settlement for cases in Florida range from $10,000 up to $60,000 or more. As mentioned above, settlement amounts vary based on many different factors. A factor that’s going to impact the amount of your car accident settlement is how severe your injuries are.
The attorneys you hire will also play a role in this. At Terrell Hogan, we understand what’s needed to determine the value of your car accident case. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.
Understanding No-Fault Insurance and Your Case
Since the state of Florida is a no-fault state, it means that you will turn to your own car insurance policy for compensation for your car accident case.
No matter how minor or serious your accident is, getting in touch with your auto insurance company is a smart first step to take after being involved in an accident. To begin receiving coverage, make sure you call your insurance provider after receiving medical treatment, get in touch with the authorities, and call our Florida car accident lawyer.
Based on the no-fault law in Florida, you can file a claim with your insurance provider, regardless of who is at fault, and receive compensation for your losses and injuries.
The Role of Your Personal Injury Protection Policy (PIP)
Drivers in Florida must purchase a minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Since Florida is a no-fault state, PIP coverage is an important part of receiving recovery for damages and injuries after being involved in a car accident.
With PIP insurance coverage, you can receive compensation for the following (in most cases):
- Up to 60% of your total lost wages because of the accident
- Up to 80% of your medical costs related to the accident
- $5,000 in death benefits
- Travel reimbursement for going to doctor’s appointments
While PIP coverage is helpful when you need to cover accident-related costs, there are a few limitations to know about.
For example, there are benefit limits in Florida. PIP benefits won’t pay over $2,500 unless you have been reported as having an EMC (emergency medical condition). There is also a specific time frame to seek medical coverage. You must get a medical evaluation within 14 days of your accident.
If you try to recover compensation for medical treatment after this time has passed, then you may not be able to. Personal injury protection coverage isn’t designed to cover all the damages you experience in your car accident. For example, you don’t receive compensation for pain and suffering from this policy.
While this is true, you still have options to recover compensation for this. Pain and suffering and other related costs that aren’t handled by your own vehicle insurance can be recovered if you file a third-party claim.
This claim should be filed against the driver who is at fault for your accident.
Are There Caps on the Compensation You Can Receive in a Florida Car Accident Claim?
In the state of Florida, there are damage caps applied to the amount you can receive from your personal injury claim. Punitive damages will have caps applied to them. However, these are not awarded in all car accident cases, so it may not be a factor you have to think about.
For car accident claims in Florida, the punitive damage cap is $500,000 or no more than three times the compensatory damages you are awarded – the greater of the two will be applied. Since there are always exceptions to the rule, it’s smart to work with our attorneys to know what you have a right to receive.
Are You Ready to File a Florida Car Accident Claim?
The personal injury lawyers at Terrell Hogan are ready to help you with your Florida car accident claim. We will research the facts of your case and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
We understand that car accidents can result in life-changing injuries that can impact your life in many ways. The first step in this process is to give us a call to schedule a free initial consultation.
Our team wants to help you recover from the incident and move forward with your life. While this can be challenging, our team is here to help you each step of the way. Get in touch today.
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