West Palm Beach Auto & Truck Accident Lawyer
Automobile accidents account for approximately 200,000 injuries and more than 2,000 deaths in the state of Florida every year. Car accidents can be quite serious, causing traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other debilitating conditions. When accidents happen because the other driver was negligent, reckless or distracted while driving, the West Palm Beach auto & truck accident lawyers at Gary Roberts & Associates, P.A. apply their experience and expertise toward making sure the accident victims are compensated for their medical injuries and suffering.
Florida Car & Truck Accident Law
The Florida legislature has adopted a complicated scheme of no-fault insurance and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) so that car accident victims can receive some compensation for their injuries without having to sue the other driver. Regardless of who was at fault, accident victims can recover up to 80% of their medical expenses and up to 60% of wages which were lost due to the accident. The total amount which can be recovered is $10,000, which is the amount of PIP insurance coverage all Florida drivers are required to carry. However, unless the injured party had an “emergency medical condition,” the total amount which can be recovered is limited to only $2,500. Your West Palm Beach auto & truck accident lawyers will know how important it is for you to go and get seen for your medical injury immediately.
This system may be acceptable to somebody who was in a minor accident and did not receive any extensive injuries, but for people who were seriously injured, $10,000 will not begin to compensate them for their medical expenses and lost wages, let alone their pain and suffering caused by the other driver’s negligence. Fortunately, Florida law does allow the accident victim to recover additional compensation in certain limited instances, such as when the injured party suffered any of the following:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- A permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
Someone who suffered any of the above can sue the negligent driver for more than $10,000 in compensation for “pain, suffering, mental anguish and inconvenience.” The law also allows such lawsuits to be brought by the personal representative of the estate of a deceased person who was killed in an automobile accident.
Contact a West Palm Beach Auto & Truck Accident Lawyer
Florida’s no-fault PIP insurance laws are full of terms such as “emergency medical condition” and “medically necessary” which are both legal definitions and medical definitions at the same time. The law firm of Gary Roberts & Associates, P.A. has West Palm Beach auto & truck accident lawyers with a deep understanding of both the medical and legal issues involved in pursuing compensation beyond the $2,500 or $10,000 PIP limits. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident in West Palm Beach, contact our office for a free consultation to discuss your case.
