When you receive medical treatment for injuries after an accident, any associated medical bills are generally your responsibility. In most cases, you may need to use part of your personal injury settlement to cover any outstanding medical expenses.
In Florida, specific insurance laws may determine whether you are responsible for paying your medical expenses. For the most accurate information, you should consult an experienced injury attorney like Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers to defend your rights following an accident.
Medical Expenses After Personal Injuries
When someone else’s carelessness or negligence injures you – be it in a car accident, a slip-and-fall, or a boating accident – you may have a legal basis to seek compensation for your injuries. An automobile accident should be covered by car insurance, but what if you’re injured in a different situation?
The degree to which you’re responsible for your medical expenses may depend on the nature of your accident. At Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped our clients recover from a variety of accidental injuries, including:
- Slip and Fall Injuries.
- Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Injuries.
- Injuries stemming from dog bites.
Medical expenses include more than just visits to your doctor’s office. When you or a loved one is injured in an accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for medical expenses for:
- Emergency treatment following your accident.
- Healthcare consultations with specialists or surgeons.
- Medical treatments and physical therapy.
- Prescription medications to aid in your recovery.
- Ongoing or future medical treatment (if necessary) to restore you to maximum medical improvement.
Depending on the types of insurance available to cover your injuries, you may be responsible for paying some or all of your medical expenses. In Florida, you should also be aware of special car insurance laws that may impact your responsibility for paying medical bills.
Florida Law PIP Coverage for Car Accidents
Florida law requires all drivers to maintain “Personal Injury Protection” or “PIP” coverage, a type of no-fault insurance covering medical expenses, lost wages, or other expenses up to $10,000 related to a car accident. PIP insurance can cover most types of medical care, including chiropractic visits, dental treatment, surgical services, medication, ambulatory services, and rehabilitation.
PIP coverage can be used to pay for medical care for you or any passengers injured in a car accident. However, PIP coverage does have some limitations. You should be aware that PIP may not cover your medical treatment as it only covers 80% of your medical expenses. In other words, if you have medical bills totaling $10,000, PIP coverage would only pay $8,000, leaving you with a $2,000 bill to pay out of pocket.
Florida’s PIP insurance laws are constantly evolving. Recently, Florida’s PIP law changed to disallow the recovery of attorney fees when you’re forced to file a lawsuit to recover PIP insurance. This change in law may disincentivize lawsuits brought to recover PIP coverage. If you’d like to learn more about the extent of PIP coverage in Florida, you should consult with the friendly professionals at Brian D. Guralnick’s office.
How Can a Lawyer Help?
The role of an attorney in helping an injured victim is to make that person whole again—to restore that individual as much as possible. Sometimes, an attorney can make an accident victim whole through negotiations with an insurance company without even filing a lawsuit.
Were you or a loved one injured in an accident?
The law offices of Brian D. Guralnick help Florida residents and tourists seek compensation and Demand More? for their injuries.
In other cases, it may be necessary for the victim of an accident to file a lawsuit to seek the fair compensation they’re entitled to. In either case, an attorney with experience handling injury cases can help.
- Protect your interests: Not only will an attorney help you fight to achieve a reasonable settlement, but they can also ensure that you’re not overcharged for your medical care. Lawyers can be instrumental in helping you obtain discounts and ensure you’re not responsible for paying for more than you must.
- Structure settlements to fit your needs: When you receive a lump sum payment from an insurance company, you may need assistance managing your compensation to ensure you have the funds to pay for your future medical care. When you hire an experienced injury lawyer, they can help you structure a settlement to provide you with a guaranteed, long-term income stream to reduce your anxiety about making ends meet later.
- Defend your legal rights: There are instances when your insurance company, or the insurance company for the at-fault party, is unwilling to pay an appropriate amount of compensation to settle your claim. If you’re forced to file a lawsuit, you’ll want a lawyer in your corner with the experience and competence to handle the legal process from start to finish.
Call Today for a Free Case Evaluation!
At Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers, we aim to relieve you of the burden of fighting for your rights. Whether you were injured in an automobile accident, on someone else’s property, or in another situation, we want to hear your story.
When we agree to take on a case, you can rest assured that our legal team will utilize all the resources available to secure an appropriate settlement to cover your medical expenses and other damages.
Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers has been selected by the Palm Beach Post as one of the “Best of the Best” in the personal injury law category for three years in a row, and we’ve achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation in court and negotiated settlements across three decades. Call today to learn why you deserve to Demand More.
