Auto insurance law in Florida is fundamentally changing. Here is what all Florida drivers should know:
What is the PIP system?
If you have an auto insurance policy, you may have heard the term “PIP” before. Florida PIP (also known as personal injury protection) coverage has played a critical role in allowing injured parties involved in auto accidents to pay their medical bills.
For example, if driver A was involved in an auto accident with driver B, driver A’s PIP coverage would allow driver A to be reimbursed for any medical treatment sought (so long as the treatment is causally connected to the accident) up to $10,000. Driver A, in this scenario, would have their medical bills covered, regardless of which party was at fault for the crash. For this reason, Florida was deemed a “no-fault” state.
As of the writing of this blog, all Florida auto insurers (pursuant to Florida law) are required to include PIP coverage in every single policy that is sold to a Florida driver.
However, this system is about to be repealed and replaced.
Why is Florida changing the law, and what do I need to know about the new law?
Within the last few weeks, a bill has made its way through the Florida Legislature that, when signed by Governor DeSantis, will repeal Florida’s no-fault (mandatory PIP coverage) auto insurance system, and replace it with a mandatory at-fault, bodily injury coverage system.
In this new system, instead of PIP coverage, all auto insurance providers will be required to offer bodily injury liability coverage with minimum policy limits of $25,000 per person injured in an auto collision, and up to $50,000 in total coverage per occurrence (regardless of the number of claimants).
This change will eliminate mandatory PIP coverage and also the requirement that a claimant must have suffered a permanent injury before he/she is able to sue to recover non-economic damages (pain and suffering) arising out of the collision, as is required at this time.
Unleash Hale!
We understand that after you have been involved in an auto accident, dealing with the insurance companies is probably the last thing you want to do.
That is where we come in!
Our team of experienced attorneys will carefully explain to you how the law applies to your case, and we will fight like “Hale” to make sure you recover the damages that you are entitled to!
If you (or a loved one) have been injured in an auto collision, give us a call and we will be happy to answer any and all questions you may have. For a free consultation, call us anytime at 941-735-4529.
