Lakewood Ranch Uninsured Driver Accident Attorney
Hillsborough County experiences over 20,000 injury crashes each year, according to Space Coast Daily. These victims have large hospital bills to cover, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages that are owed to them by the party who caused the crash. Unfortunately, Florida has the highest rate of uninsured drivers in the country. As such, injured victims are left without any compensation to pursue from that party. What is just as bad is Florida’s horrendous bodily injury insurance law—drivers are only required to carry a bare minimum Personal Injury Protection policy that only covers themselves in the event of a crash; Florida drivers are not required to carry injury liability for anyone they end up hitting or cause to crash. This means that if you are a pedestrian, cyclist, or occupant within a passenger vehicle who gets injured by a drunk driver or someone who was texting while driving—any driver who was at fault—there may not be enough money to pursue to cover your damages even if they were on the road legally. However, you may have options. The Lakewood Ranch uninsured driver accident attorneys at Hale Law are here to help you in this time of need.
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance—Under statute 627.736, all Florida drivers are required to have a PIP policy—a $10,000 personal injury protection policy that they can use to cover their own injuries, even if the other party caused the crash. Unfortunately, PIP only covers up to $8,000 in medical expenses, and a few thousand in wage replacement. It is not nearly enough to cover you if you are seriously injured.
- Suing the Other Party Directly—The problem with suing the other party directly (going after their personal assets) is that it is very unlikely that someone without adequate insurance has assets worth going after. Even if they own their own home, it is unlikely that you could win this in a lawsuit.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage—The best option for full compensation in an uninsured or underinsured collision is to pursue your own insurance policy. You can be compensated by your own uninsured/underinsured insurance policy when the other party caused the collision. But, just like the insurance company of another party, your own insurance carrier may try to get out of paying by arguing that you were partially at fault, or by reducing the value of your claim. As such, however you choose to pursue compensation, either through PIP, a lawsuit against the other party directly to go after their assets, or through your uninsured motorist policy, you need an attorney.
OUR LAKEWOOD RANCH UNINSURED DRIVER ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS CAN HELP
Are you the victim of an uninsured driver? Does the other driver only have PIP insurance, leaving you with nothing in terms of compensation? Our Lakewood Ranch uninsured driver accident attorneys here at Hale Law can help maximize your compensation. Call us today at 1-800-800-1414 to schedule a free consultation.