Do I Need to See a Medical Professional Within 14 Days of My Accident?
There are not many experiences in life that are more difficult than being involved in a serious car accident. In fact, only a handful of life events are more stressful to manage. Issues such as medical expenses, property damage and lost wages are typically the first things in the minds of injured victims. In Florida, there are several laws that you should know about right from the get-go. One of the most important things you must be aware of after an accident is the 14-day PIP rule in Florida. Normally, fear would not play a role in deciding whether or not to get medical treatment after an accident. But we are currently facing a worldwide pandemic and we understand many injured victims are worried about going to a hospital or medical office at this time. However, the law in Florida has not changed and injured victims are still required to seek medical treatment within 14 days after an accident. In this blog post, we will explain the significance of Florida’s 14- day personal injury protection rule and how it can affect your personal injury claim after an accident.
What is Florida’s 14-Day PIP Rule?
To begin, all auto insurance policies issued in Florida must provide personal injury protection (PIP) to a limit of $10,000 in medical and disability benefits and $5,000 in death benefits that result from bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle. As for medical benefits, PIP covers up to 80% of all reasonable expenses for medically necessary medical, surgical, surgical, X-ray, dental, and rehabilitative services, and medically necessary ambulance, hospital, and nursing services as long as the injured person receives initial services and care within 14 days after the motor vehicle accident. If you’re a Florida resident, there is a good chance that you have heard about the so called 14-day rule concerning personal injury protection in Florida. Familiarity with personal injury protection auto insurance coverage is a must for all drivers in Florida. The Florida PIP 14-day rule requires any injured victims to seek medical care within 14 days of an accident. Essentially, personal injury protection makes fault irrelevant in personal injury claims stemming from car accidents where the total cost of property damage or medical bills is less than $10,000. If this describes the type of accident you were involved in, you must seek medical attention within 14 days after a car accident to be eligible to file a personal injury protection claim in Florida with your own insurance company. The fundamental concept behind personal injury protection in Florida is that in exchange for limiting the right to sue the at-fault driver for cases of relatively minor accidents (generally, those not permanent and not in excess of the $10,000 threshold), the injured victim is guaranteed a swift and virtually automatic payment of their medical bills and lost income by their own insurance provider. Additionally, the 14-day rule exists because waiting to obtain necessary medical treatment can make a bad injury exponentially worse. Being proactive after a car accident can help avoid complications, mitigate injuries, and allow for a faster recovery process.
Call Our Florida Car Accident Attorneys Today!
In the wake of an accident, there are a lot of unanticipated expenses that may arise. Some examples include repair bills to fix property damage to your vehicle and costly medical bills incurred for medical treatment. To make things worse, while you are still responsible for these bills, you are likely going through the recovery process. The law in Florida allows injured victims to be compensated for medical bills, lost wages, property damage and more if they can prove that their injuries were caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of another person. At Suarez & Montero, we fully understand how difficult things can be after an accident. The good news is that you don’t have to go through this by yourself. If you or your loved one sustained injury in any type of car accident, our injury lawyers are ready and able to help you get the compensation you need to treat your injuries. Our attorneys can guide you through the process of filing a claim and obtaining personal injury protection (“PIP”) insurance in the interim that can assist you with covering any immediate medical treatment that may be necessary while you wait to settle your personal injury claim.
We are available around the clock and we serve clients throughout all of South Florida in the
following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
