Florida Auto Accidents

If you were injured in a Florida auto accident that was someone else's fault, you may be entitled to compensation to pay for:

  • Past, present, and future medical bills for treatment related to your auto-accident injuries
  • The repair or replacement of your motor vehicle and any property that was damaged or destroyed in the accident
  • Lost wages for time off from work (including time spent going to doctor's appointments and physical therapy)
  • The cost of hiring someone to do household chores that you're unable to do because of your injury
  • Permanent disability and disfigurement stemming from the car crash
  • Emotional distress stemming from the auto accident
  • Any other costs you've incurred because of the accident

If anyone was killed in the car crash or if either driver was intoxicated, the state of Florida will prosecute the driver at fault and/or the intoxicated driver. In the case of other automobile accidents, you may ultimately have to file a lawsuit for personal injury in Florida courts.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

Florida law gives you four years from the date of your automobile accident to file a claim against the driver responsible for the crash. (This is known as the statute of limitations.) If you and your Florida auto accident lawyer are unable to negotiate a settlement with the other driver (or the driver's insurance company), you should consider filing a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.

How Is Fault Determined?

To collect money stemming from an car crash injury claim, Florida law requires you to prove that the other driver was negligent. You must show:

  • The driver who caused your injuries had a responsibility not to injure you and failed to live up to that duty
  • There is a connection between the other driver's responsibility and your injury
  • You suffered damages, or a financial loss, as a result of the accident

Florida law will reduce the total amount you can recover if it's found that your carelessness contributed to your automobile accident injuries.

Florida Insurance Requirements

Florida laws require all drivers to have full liability insurance coverage with the following minimum limits:

  • Bodily injury liability: $10,000 per person and $20,000 per crash
  • Property damage liability: $10,000 per crash
  • Personal injury protection limits: $10,000 per person per crash

If you obtain a judgment against the Florida driver responsible for your automobile accident, the Bureau of Financial Responsibility (a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) will help enforce your judgment by suspending the driver's licenses, registrations, and tags until the judgment is paid.

Additional Florida Automobile Accident Resources