South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Following a major car accident, it may be obvious who was at fault and who caused the accident. Sometimes, however, car accidents are not as clear cut. In accidents with complex timelines, multiple parties, and conflicting testimony from witnesses and those involved, it can often become messy very quickly to handle the details of who was at fault, for how much fault, and other important elements of the accident timeline.
According to a recent local news report, a major accident left nine individuals injured and one killed. Local authorities reported that a van carrying three adults and four children with special needs was traveling through an intersection when it crashed into the side of another vehicle going in another direction through the intersection. The initial accident caused three other vehicles nearby to be impacted also. Local fire rescue authorities reported nine people, including six children—four of which have special needs—injured. These injured individuals were transported to the hospital, with some of the adults being issued trauma alerts. A 36-year-old woman who was also a passenger in the van was pronounced dead on the scene. The accident remains under investigation by troopers.
Florida, like some other states around the country, is called a “no fault” state. This means that Florida has a law requiring that all drivers have a specific type of car insurance coverage that pays regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
The Florida no fault law has two important parts for individuals involved in car accidents. First, it requires that a party’s own insurer pay for that party’s injuries without considering how much fault or whether they were at fault at all. Second, the law limits the injured party’s ability to sue the other party, usually through a cap on monetary damages and compensation or only for specifically enumerated types of injuries.
The minimum car insurance coverage under this law for Florida drivers is $10,000 in medical and disability benefits per person per accident in personal injury protection coverage, and $5,000 in death benefits. This money will be paid to the holder of the policy without any determination or requirement of proving or disproving fault.
In addition, the benefits of the policy extend both to the policy holder and to any family members who live in the same household of the holder. The coverage the policy offers also is quite broad, and essentially covers nearly any injury that takes place involving a vehicle. The policy holder and their resident relatives are also covered by their Florida policy when they are pedestrians or passengers in another person’s vehicle, as well as when they are out of state.
Do You Need a Florida Car Accident Lawyer?
If you or someone you know was recently injured or killed in a Florida car accident, contact the lawyers at Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada today for assistance. Our lawyers have years of experience in multiple practice areas and will fight for the compensation our clients deserve. Contact us today for a free initial consultation at 1-877-735-9021.