When it comes to finding the right Florida accident law firm, you have a lot of different options to choose from. Of course, the most important thing to remember is that every state has different accident laws, including the state of Florida. Fault is the biggest issue in any accident case and understanding the laws of liability is going to be of the utmost importance in your accident law research. In the past, it was easily determined that whoever caused the accident was the one at fault, and the other person was the one entitled to damages for being the victim of an accident.
Today, Florida accident law firm representatives will talk to you about comparative versus contributory negligence, which is basically a fancy way of saying that people who are at fault aren’t always the defendants in accident cases. Most states, including Florida, now follow a law known as comparative negligence, which basically states that anyone who was involved in an accident may be able to recover damages, based on the extent to which they were at fault for the accident. There are three different types of comparative negligence:
-Pure comparative fault -Proportional comparative fault at 51% -Proportional comparative fault at 50%
The insurance company will work with the claims adjuster to determine the level of fault in any accident, allowing people to hire injury lawyers and seek damages for the accident depending on what role they played in the incident. In the state of Florida, you are encouraged to buy personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which would allow you to file a claim with your own insurance company to get medical expenses and lost income taken care of. If you can prove that the other person was at fault and they don’t have enough insurance coverage, you can file a suit for personal injuries and lost wages against them to get the compensation that you deserve.
In Florida, state law requires that you have $10,000 for bodily injury liability per person, $20,000 bodily injury liability per accident, and $10,000 for personal property liability coverage. Additionally, people who have DUIs, revocations on record, accident histories, suspensions, and other special circumstances will be required to have higher levels of coverage. If you don’t have the right auto insurance in the first place, a Florida accident law firm will not be able to help you get the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.