A brain injury is one of the most traumatic injuries one can suffer as a result of a car accident. The problem with these injuries is that at times, there are no outwards signs and people tend to ignore them. But, these injuries have a nasty habit of manifesting after some time has elapsed and when they do, they lead to some serious problems like coma, marked behavioral changes, loss of mobility, intense headaches etc. If you live in Florida and have suffered a brain injury because of a car accident, you must know about certain aspects of making insurance claims for getting compensation for your injury. Let’s take a closer look at some of these aspects.
You don’t have a lot of time to seek medical treatment
In Florida, you have just 14 days to seek medical treatment post the car accident. The strict personal injury protection laws means, you need to get medical treatment for your injury in double quick time. If you have been involved in a car collision and have suffered from an injury because of it, make your way to a doctor without wasting any time. If you don’t do this within 14 days, you might not get full medical benefit pay-outs even if you are have been diagnosed with a serious brain injury.
Don’t go to just any doctor
If you have been injured in a car accident you might be tempted to first go to your family doctor or consult a friend who is a doctor or to a clinic that is near your home. Just one word – Don’t. In order to take full advantage of your PIP insurance policy, the initial treatment must be received at the designated group of hospitals or licensed clinics or through a group of medical professional authorized to handle accident related cases in Florida.
You need to turn first to your insurance
Florida is a No-Fault car insurance State. This means in order to get the compensation for your brain injury you must first target your own insurance coverage. But don’t worry; you can get out of the ‘No-Fault’ zone if you have suffered permanent injuries as a result of the negligence of the driver who was at fault for the accident. In this case, you don’t have to look to your own car insurance coverage to get compensation but can file a claim that demands the ‘at-fault’ driver’s insurance company settle the claim.
Time limit to file a case
If you think the seriousness of your personal injury claim allows you to file a claim against the errant driver, you have to do this within 4 years from the date of the car accident. If you don’t do this within the required time frame, you cannot recover damages from the at-fault driver. This is why you need to get started on the process of getting medical treatment, and filing an insurance claim as quickly as possible. This becomes of significant importance in case you have suffered a brain injury and it’s of a debilitating nature. You don’t want to lose out on compensation that you can rightfully claim. So, make sure you start the proceedings as quickly as you can.
Editor’s information – you can also read about some of the Best Accident Injury Lawyers in Florida in Jacksonville for more information on relevant attorneys you may want to consider.
The Importance of hiring a car accident attorney
One of the simplest ways of getting your hands on the settlement amount that you think is appropriate for all the trauma that you have suffered because of your brain injury is to contact an injury lawyer in indianapolis. Think about it for a second. If you are suffering from a brain injury, would you like going through the long drawn out process of working out a claim, filing a claim, getting supporting documentation and a whole lot else, without any expert help. You will just be burdening yourself with a lot of extra work and associated pressure, when there is no need to. What’s more, you don’t want to be taking any wrong steps while filing a claim. You need to have an assurance that you are doing the right thing. This assurance comes in the form an expert lawyer specializing in personal injuries especially brain injuries. Think of your lawyer as your friend, philosopher and guide who will help you get the settlement amount you are looking for.
When you are involved in a car accident in Florida, the first thing you must do is not panic. Call the police to the scene of the accident, and then make your way to the authorized clinic, hospital or health professional. After that hire an attorney and begin the process of filing a claim. If you play it cool, you will be able take the right steps towards a satisfying compensation.