Because Florida operates under a no-fault insurance system, regardless of who is at fault, each party’s own insurance provider will pay for a percentage of medical bills and lost wages. You may be able to pursue compensation for pain and suffering and additional economic damages from the other party if fault can be clearly established and your damages exceed your PIP policy limits.

Unfortunately, even in the best of circumstances, you’ll only receive partial compensation from your insurance provider. PIP covers up to 60 percent of lost wages and 80 percent of medical bills up to your PIP limit – which is often only $10,000. That means, even in the best circumstances, you’ll only get partial payment of your injury-related expenses (and absolutely no pain and suffering compensation). Plus, once you hit your $10,000 limit, the coverage completely cuts you off.

Fort Myers drivers seriously injured in crashes often have expenses far exceeding that $10,000 cap, even when they only receive partial compensation via PIP. At that point, an injured driver or passenger’s only option is to file a claim against the other driver’s liability coverage (if they have it).

Insurance adjusters may try to downplay your injuries, dispute their responsibility to compensate you or offer you inadequate compensation in hopes you’re desperate enough to accept. A personal injury attorney will fight to ensure your claim is valued fairly, assessing any settlement offers and negotiating on your behalf.