There are several types of insurance that you can use to pay your bills in an auto accident case. Each type of insurance has pros and cons when being used in an accident claim. It is important to consider all of the below listed factors before making your decision.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is the most common insurance upon which auto accident injury claims are made. In Florida, a no-fault state, every motorist is required to have PIP. Typical PIP coverage will pay 80% of your accident related medical bills up to the policy limit. Most PIP policies have a $10,000 limit per accident. PIP can also be used to pay up to 60% of your accident related lost wages. Once PIP is exhausted you will need to find a way to pay the 20% outstanding as well as your bills over and above the $10,000. Your Accident Attorney can advise you on this.
Bodily Injury Liability Insurance (BI) is optional coverage which is used to pay the medical bills of the person who is injured. A Tampa Accident Attorney will prepare and file a claim for the bodily injury limits of the person who injured you. This usually happens after your Doctors write their final reports regarding your accident related injuries.
Un or Under Insured Motorist Coverage (UM) is also optional coverage which protects the injured person when the at-fault person does not have enough insurance to pay the bills. I think that this is the most important coverage you can have for your family. If you are in an accident with an under insured person this coverage could be the difference between thousands of dollars in medical bill debt and thousands of dollars recovered for your injuries. This claim is made by an Injury Attorney after all of the above listed coverage is exhausted.
Health Insurance should be your last option for paying your accident related bills. Be sure to ask your accident lawyer about using this coverage. If you use your health insurance to pay your auto accident bills you will have to pay your provider back from your recovery. This is called subrogation and it is the law in Florida. For more details on using health insurance for your accident case you should speak with a Tampa Accident Lawyer.
If you have been injured in an auto accident you should seek the advice of an experienced auto accident attorney. It could be the difference between winning and losing your case.
