Ocala Uninsured Motorist Claims

Ocala Uninsured Motorist Claims

Were you involved in a car accident with an uninsured driver? If you were hurt, you probably have questions about whether you can recover compensation for your injuries. An Ocala uninsured motorist claims lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. can offer solutions.

We offer a free consultation so there’s no risk in exploring your options. Contact our law firm today to get started. Our attorneys are available 24/7 at (352) 351-3258, so call us today! We represent injured victims after Ocala car accidents, Ocala pedestrian accidents, Ocala bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, wrongful deaths, and more.

How Our Ocala Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident With an Uninsured Motorist

How Our Ocala Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident With an Uninsured Motorist

You never plan on getting into a car accident. Still, Florida’s no-fault insurance law gives many drivers peace of mind of knowing that everyone involved in a crash will have insurance to cover the damages. Unfortunately, not all drivers follow the rules. You could easily be left on the hook for costs that far exceed your insurance policy limits.

You’ll have to fight to get the fair compensation you deserve. Drivers who drive without proper insurance coverage might have their license suspended or face steep fines. That doesn’t help you if you’re hurt in a crash.

When you ask our Ocala personal injury attorneys to fight for compensation after an accident with an uninsured motorist, you can expect that we will:

  • Identify all parties who share in the blame for your crash
  • Pursue claims for compensation against every potentially responsible party
  • Handle all of the complex insurance paperwork
  • Help you understand your legal options if an injury lawsuit becomes necessary
  • Advocate for full compensation in court if needed

If you don’t take action after a crash with an uninsured motorist, you can be facing significant costs even though you followed all the rules. At Allen Law Firm, P.A., we don’t want you to have to deal with this type of situation. 

Victims in uninsured motorist accidents often think there’s nothing they can do to get the money they need. That’s not always the case. Establishing an attorney-client relationship can help.

Our injury lawyers have more than 20 years of experience fighting for injured clients’ rights. Give us a call today to arrange a 100% free case evaluation to see how we can help.

How Many People Drive Without Car Insurance in Florida?

How Many People Drive Without Car Insurance in Florida?

You have to purchase car insurance to register your vehicle in the state of Florida. However, many drivers let their coverage lapse over time. They might be unable to keep up with premiums or simply not understand the rules. It’s more common than you might think.

Nationwide, about one in eight drivers don’t have auto insurance. As of 2015, 26.7% of Florida drivers did not carry the required car insurance. That brings us significantly above the national average. In Florida, one in four drivers have opted to go without car insurance.

That creates a problem for everyone on the roads. Florida is a no-fault state. Still, when a motor vehicle accident leaves you seriously hurt, your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage often just isn’t enough to cover the costs.

Understanding Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law

If you get hurt in a car wreck in Florida, you first file an injury claim with your own insurance company. That means you won’t have to worry about whether the at-fault driver was insured right away. That’s the basic idea behind no-fault insurance coverage.

Regardless, you’ll have to follow the insurance company’s rules–they won’t just hand over the cash. You’ll have to file an injury claim and provide evidence about the cost of your injuries. PIP policies generally cover things like medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage.

Florida’s no-fault insurance law requires every driver to purchase:

  • $10,000 in property damage claims and bodily injury coverage 
  • $5,000 in death benefits if the accident was fatal

Your PIP coverage will kick in if any of the following people are hurt in the accident:ed

  • The named insured
  • Relatives who live in the same household as the insured
  • The driver who was operating your vehicle
  • Any passengers in the vehicle

The at-fault driver’s status as uninsured or underinsured only becomes relevant if your expenses exceed your PIP coverage limits. You can file a lawsuit for damages against the at-fault driver if your injuries are serious. 

Under Florida insurance law, that means:

  • Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
  • Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
  • Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
  • Death

These types of serious injuries can easily leave you with medical bills and other expenses that far exceed your policy limits. 

What Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Offer?

You might have purchased uninsured motorist coverage in addition to the standard minimum no-fault insurance coverage. 

Uninsured motorist coverage is valuable if:

  • You’re seriously hurt in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist
  • Your vehicle is particularly expensive, so that repairs would likely exceed standard policy limits

Insurance agents offer uninsured motorist coverage alongside your traditional policy. If you elect to purchase uninsured motorist coverage, it’s included when you make your standard premium payments.

How Do Uninsured Motorist Claims Work?

If you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, you’ll have to file a claim under that policy. Uninsured motorist coverage is 100% optional in Florida. However, the law requires you to reject uninsured motorist coverage in writing. It’s possible that you’ve been paying for coverage and didn’t realize that the cost was simply included.

An uninsured motorist claim is similar to any other type of insurance claim. You’ll have to:

  • Call the police and file an accident report
  • Get the other driver’s contact information 
  • Provide details and evidence about the car accident itself
  • Gather information about your medical bills and other costs
  • Complete all the necessary injury claims paperwork

It’s also a good idea to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Our lawyers know how to handle uninsured motorist claims. We’ll put our 20-plus years of experience to work getting the most compensation available in your case.

Get Started Today to Avoid Missing Deadlines

You have to be aware of multiple deadlines if you’re hurt in a car crash. Florida no-fault insurance laws require you to seek medical care within 14 days of an accident. Otherwise, it’s possible that your insurance carrier could refuse to cover your medical bills. 

Additionally, you only have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Florida recently updated its statute of limitations for most cases in this area of the law. There’s a two-year time limit if the accident happened on or after 3/24/2203, and a four-year time limit otherwise. However, there are exceptions in some cases, so call today to confirm the deadline for your situation.

How Do Florida Comparative Fault Rules Impact My Uninsured Motorist Claim?

More than one person can be responsible for a car accident. Under Florida’s modified comparative fault rules, every responsible party can be held liable for their fair share of the damages. In other words, even if one driver was uninsured, another might have coverage–even if they were only exceeding the speed limit.

It’s not always easy to identify every factor that contributed to a crash–especially if you were seriously hurt. Our lawyers will thoroughly investigate to locate every responsible party. We might be able to hold any of the following parties accountable even if an uninsured motorist also shared in the blame:

Here’s how the shared fault rules work. Every party who shares the blame for a crash is assigned a percentage of fault. If that person is also hurt, their damages award is reduced by that percentage. If someone else is hurt, that person is responsible for their proportion of the damages.

What Types of Damages Might an Uninsured Motorist Claim Cover?

Available damages depend upon whether you’re filing a claim with your insurance company or pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver. 

Uninsured Motorist Insurance

Uninsured motorist coverage can provide compensation for:

Because uninsured motorist coverage is completely optional in Florida, coverage will depend on the type of policy you purchased.

You might also have to reimburse your health insurance carrier for the expenses they’ve covered.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

In a personal injury lawsuit, you have the right to recover compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses. That means you may be entitled to compensation for:

Of course, the primary risk with a personal injury lawsuit is that the at-fault driver won’t have the assets necessary to pay your full compensation award. It’s always important to have a skilled personal injury attorney to help you through the process.

Common Auto Accidents in Ocala, FL

At Allen Law Firm, P.A., we handle all types of car crashes including:

Do You Have Questions About Ocala Uninsured Motorist Claims? Call Our Experienced Car Crash Attorneys in Ocala for Help Today

Ocala uninsured motorist claims are almost always complex. You’ll have to deal with multiple insurance policies and different coverage rules. At Allen Law Firm, P.A., our Ocala uninsured motorist lawyers will do everything we can to make the process run as smoothly as possible.

Still have questions? Ready to get started with your injury claim? Just give our law offices a call to schedule a free consultation with a lawyer who can help.