New PIP Laws in Florida

Fort Lauderdale drivers have a new reason to be cautious when heading out on the road as of January 1st — when an overhaul involving Personal Injury Protection (PIP) laws went into effect. While passed under the guise of preventing insurance fraud, the laws actually hurt those injured in a car accident and make it harder to collect compensation. The new laws favor insurance companies more than the injured and put up blocks to obtaining the full $10,000 coverage.

For one, the new and controversial laws act to reduce coverage for drivers in Florida by capping payment for chiropractic treatment at $2,500 — while also increasing the amount of time an insurer has to pay on a valid claim. The laws also allow for the use of an Examination Under Oath, or EUO, by insurance company lawyers. An EUO is a formal statement given in the presence of a court reporter. Failure to attend an EUO can result in denial of benefits.

Prior to January 1st, PIP coverage existed so that individuals would have their medical expenses paid regardless of whether or not they caused the accident. Originally 80 percent of all medical bills were paid for and 60 percent of lost wages, up to $10,000. The new law now requires that medical treatment must be obtained within 14 days of the accident — a very small window for people injured — or you won’t get PIP benefits.

Healthcare professionals also have a reason to be leery of the new laws, since practitioners such as massage therapists and acupuncturists will no longer be allowed to treat patients under PIP. In addition, the law does not require insurance companies to notify policyholders of PIP changes, which pulls the rug out from underneath them without their knowledge or understanding of why they can’t rely on this coverage.

Because of the unfairness of this change, a coalition of Florida massage therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists have filed a lawsuit fighting the limits the new law imposes on the types of medical professionals and procedures covered after an accident.

These PIP changes won’t save consumers money and will significantly reduce insurance funds allotted to injured people. If you have been injured in a car accident in Florida and have questions about how to proceed, call a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney to discuss a personal injury claim settlement.

Don’t hurt yourself further by not knowing all of your rights.

Before You Give Your ‘Teen’ the Keys to the Car

It is an exciting time for teenagers when they can finally grab those car keys and head out onto the open road, without parents. They are youthful and bubbly and thrilled with the prospect of being able to blast the radio, open the windows and feel a sense of independence. Their parents, meanwhile, are a mess.

By the time those keys are jingling in their fingers, your teenager has hopefully been through the process of what it takes to earn the right to drive that car. We all know a lot goes into getting a driver’s license and driving a car. First, there’s education and training. Teens in Florida are required to take and pass a formal driver education course designed to provide both classroom and on-road instruction.

Key Points Your Teen Should Know Before Driving:

• Know how to Inspect the vehicle before getting in the car, such as checking for flat tires
• Preparation before starting the car: adjusting mirrors and seats and fastening the safety belt
• How to enter and exit rural roads, urban streets, and fast-paced highways
• Understand and know how to read road signs and traffic lights
• The correct way to signal a turn
• Parallel parking
• Handling emergency situations, such as flat tires, traffic accidents, and running out of gas

Your teen will also go through a process called graduated driver licensing, which consists of three phases: a learner’s permit, an intermediate permit, and a driver’s license. In addition, there are requirements placed on each permit, which means a teenager needs to have a learner’s permit for a certain amount of time before applying for an intermediate permit. Likewise, an intermediate permit is needed for a certain amount of time before applying for a driver’s license.

And long before you hand those keys over to your independent teen driver you need to get him or her out on the road to practice. Impress the need to pay attention to safety belt laws and to always inspect the car before heading out on the road. Make sure they understand the need to follow the rules: speed limits, traffic lights, traffic signs and signaling to the vehicle behind them when they plan to make a turn. This also includes never drinking and driving, and never riding with anyone who has been drinking or using any kind of drugs.

Most importantly, you teen should know the value of carrying a cell phone in case of emergency but should never use it – texting or otherwise – while driving. For your teenager’s personal injury protection in Ft Lauderdale, contact a personal injury attorney from the Florida Injury Law Group when you need to file a personal injury claim after an auto accident.

Hopefully that will never happen but life isn’t perfect — and neither is driving — especially for teenagers.

Know & Understand Your Insurance Policy

You bond with many things in your life — your dog, your spouse and your friends. You should also bond with your auto insurance policy.

Yes, that’s right. Knowing your insurance policy and what you’re covered for in the event of a car accident on any of Florida’s roads — or if you’re involved in a Florida Turnpike car accident — will go a long way in enabling you to eventually reach a car accident settlement.

Why, you may ask — because your auto insurance is the cushion that enables you to maneuver through all of those hazards on the road. Just as you wouldn’t ride a motorcycle without a helmet or go parasailing without a harness — you shouldn’t venture out onto the road without auto insurance. And knowing how that insurance impacts you is central to being a responsible driver.

Some terms you should know on your insurance policy:

• Personal Injury Protection: This will provide coverage for medical treatment, lost wages from injury and any additional expenses that are incurred from an auto accident.
• Collision Damage: Collision damage covers any damage sustained by your car during an accident and applies when damage is caused by an impact with another vehicle or when a car flips.
• Comprehensive Damage: This covers all instances in which damage occurs to your car from events other than auto accidents, such as flooding or theft and vandalism.
• Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability: If you are at fault in an auto accident, you may be held liable for any resulting injury or death sustained by the other vehicle’s occupants. Property damage liability also applies when you are found to be at fault in an accident, and pays for repairs to the other party’s vehicle.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage: If you’rein a car accident in Florida and it’s not your fault – and then you fund the other driver had no auto insurance – you’ll find that uninsured motorist coverage is a piece of additional coverage that is necessary to pay for medical costs associated with the accident. Likewise, uninsured motorist property damage coverage will also pay for your repair costs, even if the at-fault driver lacks insurance altogether.

So it would be a good idea for you to bond with your insurance coverage before you bond with that car of your dreams and before you go out and test the gears. Contact a personal injury lawyer in South Florida if you get into an auto accident. Sometimes it’s not only who you know — but what you know — that can get you out of trouble.