{"id":160,"date":"2026-01-05T20:57:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T20:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bobet.alexiskomar.com\/?page_id=160"},"modified":"2026-02-11T20:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T20:06:10","slug":"auto-accidents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/practice-areas\/auto-accidents\/","title":{"rendered":"Auto Accidents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Damage Recovery Works After a Florida Car Crash<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In most cases you recover money through (1) your own PIP, (2) a claim against the at-fault driver\/owner (or your UM coverage), and (3) property-damage coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1) Your Own PIP Pays First for Basic Medical and Wage Loss (no-fault)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For vehicles required to carry \u201csecurity\u201d (standard 4-wheel passenger vehicles), Florida\u2019s no-fault system generally makes Personal Injury Protection (PIP) the first payer for your own injuries, regardless of who caused the crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key PIP rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Treatment within 14 days: PIP medical benefits apply only if you receive initial services\/care within 14 days after the accident.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Amounts\/percentages:\n
      \n
    • 80% of reasonable, medically necessary medical expenses (subject to policy limits and statutory rules).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 60% of lost gross income \/ earning capacity (disability benefits).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • $5,000 death benefit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • $10,000 vs. $2,500 cap: PIP reimbursement is available up to $10,000 only if a listed provider determines you had an \u201cemergency medical condition.\u201d Otherwise, it is limited to $2,500.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      2) Claims Against the At-Fault Driver: Economic Losses, and Sometimes Pain-and-Suffering<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Florida\u2019s tort exemption limits lawsuits to the extent PIP benefits are payable, but you can pursue a liability claim for losses that go beyond what PIP covers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Pain and suffering (non-economic damages) from a motor-vehicle crash are only recoverable if you meet Florida\u2019s \u201cserious injury\u201d threshold:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability (other than scarring\/disfigurement), or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • death.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        If you do not meet that threshold, your recovery is typically limited to economic losses (medical bills, lost income, etc.), plus property damage (below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        3) Uninsured\/Underinsured Motorist (UM\/UIM): Often the Make-or-Break Coverage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        If the at-fault driver has little\/no bodily injury insurance (common in Florida), UM\/UIM can pay what you\u2019d otherwise recover from that driver, up to your UM limits. Florida law allows UM to be rejected or reduced only by a specific written form, and the form language is prescribed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        Property Damage Recovery (the Car, not your Body)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Florida requires $10,000 minimum Property Damage Liability (PDL) for registered 4-wheel vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You usually recover vehicle damage through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • the at-fault driver\u2019s PDL, or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • your own collision coverage (then your insurer may seek reimbursement), or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • direct payment if the other party is uninsured\/underinsured for property damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          \n\n\n\n

          Your Fault Matters: Florida\u2019s 51% Bar<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Florida applies modified comparative negligence: your damages are reduced by your share of fault, and if you\u2019re found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing (in most negligence cases).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          Deadlines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Negligence actions (typical auto injury claims) must be filed within 2 years.
          Wrongful death actions are also 2 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/div>\n\n\n\n

          If you or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident, please contact Bobet Law Firm for a free consultation to discuss your rights and potential compensation.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          How Damage Recovery Works After a Florida Car Crash In most cases you recover money through (1) your own PIP, (2) a claim against the at-fault driver\/owner (or your UM coverage), and (3) property-damage coverage. 1) Your Own PIP Pays First for Basic Medical and Wage Loss (no-fault) For vehicles required to carry \u201csecurity\u201d (standard…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":85,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-160","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":782,"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/160\/revisions\/782"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobetlaw.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}