Common Car Accident Myths
Most of us won’t be lucky enough to avoid being involved in a collision at least once in our lives. Unfortunately, misinformation can make these experiences, which already tend to be frustrating and frightening, even more difficult to navigate. In an effort to help Florida car accident victims avoid typical pitfalls, we’ve included a few of the most common collision-related myths that can derail a person’s claims. To learn more, please reach out to an experienced Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer today.
Myth # 1: Your Insurance Provider Will Cover All of Your Losses
Many people believe that by paying their insurance premiums every month, they ensure that they will be covered in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true, even for those who weren’t at fault for the accident in question, as many insurers try to avoid paying out the maximum amount of a claim by offering lower settlements. In other cases, a person’s policy may not provide sufficient coverage to fully pay off medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related costs. While it may be possible to recover compensation from the other driver’s insurer at this point, doing so can be difficult.
Myth # 2: The Other Driver Will Have Insurance
Florida law requires that all drivers obtain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance to cover them in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, many motorists fail to heed these rules. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute estimates that nearly 30 percent of Florida drivers lack auto insurance. This can place accident victims in a tough place financially, leaving them on the hook for medical bills and lost wages that exceed the costs of their own policy. While drivers that have uninsured motorist coverage are often able to recover some of their losses by filing a claim with their own provider, others may be forced to take a case to court and attempt to hold the at-fault driver personally liable for accident-related losses.
Myth # 3: You Only Need to Seek Medical Attention for Major Injuries
Motorists who suspect that they have sustained any type of injury in a car accident should seek medical attention as soon as possible, as some injuries, including whiplash, can take days or even weeks to manifest. Those who wait to obtain help for these injuries could find themselves not only suffering from avoidable complications, but also forced to go to much greater lengths to prove that an injury was the result of a particular accident, which in turn, can affect a victim’s recovery.
Myth # 4: You Don’t Need an Attorney for a Minor Accident
While it may not seem like those who are involved in minor car accidents will require the aid of an attorney, this isn’t always true. The reality is that determining liability and recovering compensation even after minor fender benders can be difficult, so it’s generally a good idea for car accident victims to schedule an initial consultation with an attorney to go over the facts of their case.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Please call the office of Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 today to learn more about how an experienced auto accident attorney can help you with your own claim.
