What Is Florida’s 14-Day Accident Law?
If you were injured in an accident and live in the state of Florida, it is essential to be aware of the 14-day rule regarding medical care. Referred to as Personal Injury Protection (PIP), this law requires you to receive medical care for your injuries within 14 days of the accident in order to qualify for PIP benefits. Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
If you want to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim after an accident in Florida, you need to understand Florida’s 14-day accident law and how it works. At Leifer & Ramirez, our personal injury lawyers help injured victims protect their right to financial compensation throughout Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, and Deerfield Beach.
What Is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in Florida?
PIP is a type of auto insurance coverage that provides financial protection in the event you are injured in an automobile accident. With PIP coverage, medical expenses incurred due to an accident are covered up to a certain amount regardless of who was at fault for the accident. This includes emergency services, hospital stays, and rehabilitation expenses.
Florida requires a minimum of $10,000 of PIP insurance for each vehicle registered in the state, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The 14-Day Rule in Florida
In order to qualify for PIP benefits, you must receive medical attention within 14 days after the date of your accident. This can include visits to your primary care physician or visits to a specialist recommended by your doctor. Failure to receive medical attention within 14 days will disqualify you from receiving any PIP benefits from your insurance company.
It is important to note that it does not matter if you do not feel like something is wrong with you immediately following an accident. Even if symptoms do not appear until weeks later, it still counts as long as it is within the two-week window after the date of the collision or other incident causing injury.
For this reason, it is best to see a doctor or go to a hospital after a traumatic event (e.g., a car crash or a slip and fall accident), even if you feel absolutely fine. Some injuries may not be apparent until days or even weeks after the accident. It is also critical that all doctors involved in treating your injury understand that it was caused by an automobile accident so they can document it correctly in their records.
How to Protect Your Rights Under Florida’s 14-Day Accident Law?
To ensure that you are eligible for PIP benefits after being injured in an automobile accident, make sure that you seek medical attention within 14 days of the date of the incident. If you fail to do so, unfortunately, there may not be much recourse available, even if your injuries require extensive treatment down the road.
It is always best practice for those injured in accidents—no matter how minor—to get seen by a doctor immediately afterward as part of their own safety protocol and legal protection should they ever need it down the road.
The Legal Advocacy You Can Trust
If you suffered injuries but did not seek immediate medical attention, you might worry that you would be ineligible for PIP benefits because of Florida’s 14-day accident law. The Boca Raton personal injury lawyers at Leifer & Ramirez provide legal guidance to injured victims throughout the state of Florida. Call 561-660-9421 today to schedule a free case review.
