Florida Uninsured Driver Accident Lawyer
All Florida drivers are required to carry insurance coverage. Despite this law, thousands of drivers travel Florida’s roads and highways every day without it. Failing to carry insurance is dangerous for the driver who does it and for the drivers of cars they encounter along the road.
If you’ve recently been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, don’t give up hope that you’ll get the money you need for your injuries. Florida drivers involved in collisions with uninsured drivers aren’t left without a means of recovery and can typically turn to their own insurance coverage. Even then, however, insurance companies are often reluctant to pay the full amount that accident victims are owed for their injuries, and the policy limits may not be enough.
You don’t need to handle this process alone. Contact the Florida uninsured driver accident lawyers at Meldon Law to see how we can help.
Our Car Accident Attorneys Will Help You Explore Your Options After a Wreck With an Insured Driver
At Meldon Law, we understand how hard it can be to get big corporations like insurance companies to take you seriously. We know how challenging it can be to fight through giant bureaucracies to get the compensation you need just to afford necessary medical expenses and car repairs. We know how distracted and tired you feel, fighting for what you’re owed as you try to recover from a serious accident.
Let us take some of that burden off your shoulders. Our Florida uninsured accident attorneys at Meldon Law are ready to fight for your compensation, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
PIP Coverage Offers Some Compensation for Your Injuries
Florida law requires that all drivers carry a minimum amount of car insurance in order to register a vehicle. Specifically, drivers must produce evidence that they have obtained a minimum of $10,000 in coverage for both Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage Liability insurance to register their car.
Florida is one of the nation’s few remaining “no-fault” insurance coverage states. This means that each driver’s own insurance provides coverage for injuries suffered by the driver, their passengers, or people such as bicyclists and pedestrians who are outside the car at the time of the crash.
Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, coverage will pay for:
- 80% of your medical expenses
- 60% of your lost wages, up to the policy’s limits
This amount may not be enough for serious accidents.
It can be even more stressful if the insurer deems your injury a “non-emergency.” In this case, the insurer will only pay $2,500. Our car accident attorneys can fight the insurer’s decision if this happened to you.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage Can Provide Added Compensation
Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance coverage, also known as “UM/UIM,” can provide added help for victims of accidents with uninsured drivers. In contrast to PIP coverage, it is not mandatory to purchase uninsured motorist coverage in order to register a vehicle in Florida. UM/UIM coverage is something that many Florida drivers elect to carry, and which can provide additional benefits when PIP falls short.
Obtaining UM/UIM benefits isn’t always straightforward, however. To qualify for UM/UIM benefits, the victim of the uninsured driver must be able to prove several factors:
- The victim’s injuries were serious: UM/UIM benefits will not be distributed unless the accident victim can meet what’s known as the serious injury threshold. The victim must be able to prove that they have suffered one of the following:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- Injury that is likely to be permanent
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Death
- The other driver failed to exhibit reasonable care: The victim of the uninsured motorist must show that the other driver acted negligently in causing the accident. This may involve a need for evidence of the other driver’s fault, which your attorney will prepare.
If the other driver was not at fault, you can’t use your uninsured motorist coverage.
- The other driver lacked insurance coverage or sufficient coverage to pay for your injuries: Finally, victims of uninsured drivers must prove that there was insufficient coverage available for their injuries. The insurer may argue that your injuries are not as valuable as you believe them to be and that instead, the amount available to you in existing coverage should be sufficient.
In these instances, it is extremely helpful to have an attorney’s help in advocating for your position. Your attorney will understand how best to use available evidence and legal precedent to prove your entitlement to additional compensation.
We May Be Able to Sue the Other Party or Identify Other Liable Parties
If the other party didn’t have insurance, it may be in your best interests to sue them for the costs of your injuries. Our team can determine whether this is something you would want to do in your situation.
In some cases, the other driver may not have the money you need, but another party may have contributed to the accident. If that is the case, we can hold them liable. Other responsible parties may include:
- A maintenance company
- A municipality
- Another driver who contributed to the accident
- The driver’s employer
Meldon Law Can Help You Fight for the Compensation You Need
We’ve been helping Floridians injured in accidents with uninsured drivers for over 50 years. We know where to look for the compensation you need for your injuries and other losses. And you can be sure that you’ll be treated with compassion and care during this experience. When you enlist our help, you become a part of the Meldon family. And we protect our own.
We also know how stressful this situation can be and ensure that you are never in the dark. In addition to remaining in constant contact with you, we also make sure you are educated about the claims process so you know what to do if you’re ever in this situation again. We have written books, consumer guides, and blogs and we host a weekly legal talk radio show.
You’re in good hands when you work with our team. Call us today to get started.
What Should I Do After an Accident With an Uninsured Driver?
The two most important things you need to do after an accident are to call 911 and get medical care. Typically, when you call 911 and tell the dispatcher you are injured, they will send police officers and paramedics to the scene.
It’s very important that you get a police report because the insurance company may not accept your claim without it. It’s also imperative that you receive emergency care, so you can receive the entirety of your PIP coverage. It also links your injuries to your accident, so your insurer can claim your injuries aren’t related.
Once you’ve reported the accident and gotten medical care, do the following:
- Continue with your medical care. If you didn’t receive care at the scene, you must do so within 14 days of your accident. If you don’t, your insurer won’t pay.
- Avoid posting on social media.
- If another insured party contributed to the accident, refuse to give their insurer a recorded statement. Give them the basics of the accident and then direct any further questions to us.
- Call our team to explore your options for compensation. We recommend that you do this as soon as possible after the accident to ensure that we are able to protect you and your claim from the beginning.
Can I Afford Help from an Uninsured Driver Accident Lawyer?
Yes. Our uninsured driver accident lawyers handle all car accident cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means you pay us nothing upfront to get started and you only pay us if we recover compensation for you. We will go over our fee agreement with you so that you know what to expect.
How Many Drivers in Florida Are Uninsured?
Approximately 16% of Florida drivers didn’t have insurance in 2022, according to a 2023 study by the Insurance Research Council. This is higher than the nationwide average of 14%. Florida is 15th in the nation for uninsured drivers.
Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Florida? Our Florida Uninsured Accident Attorneys Have Your Back.
Victims of accidents with uninsured drivers have options, but they are likely to need legal help to make the most of the options available. For seasoned, compassionate, and committed help after an accident caused by an uninsured driver in Florida, contact Meldon Law for a free evaluation of your case.
Remember that our injury lawyers handle cases with no upfront costs. There’s no risk when you work with our team. We never back down from a fight, no matter how bleak it may seem.
