Injured By an Uninsured Driver? Here’s What You Should Do

While nearly every state requires drivers to have at least a minimum of liability car insurance coverage, many people don’t carry any insurance, despite it being against the law.

So, what happens if you are hit by an uninsured driver and are injured? Usually, when you are in an accident, the at-fault driver typically pays for the damage, but it gets more complicated in a no-fault state like Florida, or when you are injured by an uninsured driver.

Our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center explains.

What to Do After Being in an Accident with an Uninsured Driver

#1. File a Police Report

Call 911 and file a police report. If you are able, while you are waiting for the police to arrive at the scene, take photos of the damage, note as many details as you can such as the road conditions, your speed, etc., and exchange contact information with the other driver.

Even if the accident is minor, in the case of uninsured motorist accidents, we recommend that you do not handle it privately. Damage to your vehicle might be worse than you originally thought and some injuries like whiplash may not manifest for hours or days after the accident.

#2. File a Claim

After filing a police report, your next step is to file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance company. Your insurer will pay for the medical bills and property damage to your vehicle, up to your coverage amounts.

Make sure to file the claim sooner rather than later. Most insurance companies give you 30 days to file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim.

If you don’t have uninsured motorist protection in your policy, you can file a claim under the collision coverage of your policy.

#3. Seek Medical Care

Florida is a no-fault state meaning that each party in a car accident will seek compensation from their own insurance companies. Because of this, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage is required for all drivers in Florida.

If you are injured in a car accident with an uninsured driver, Florida has a 14-day PIP rule that requires you to seek medical treatment within 14 days of the car accident. Failure to seek medical treatment within those 14 days, can make you ineligible to receive medical benefits and compensation for your injuries.

If you obtain medical treatment within 14 days of your uninsured motorist car accident, you will receive the maximum payout that is available from your PIP coverage for an emergency medical condition. In the case of non-emergency injury, you will likely get around $2500 in medical benefits.

Waiting to seek medical treatment can impact your chances of receiving compensation for your lost wages or injuries as your insurance company might argue that the accident was not the cause of your loss of work or injuries.

To sum it up, seek medical treatment within 14 days of your Florida uninsured motorist accident to protect your right to receive your PIP benefits.

#4. Press Charges

If you are injured or your vehicle sustained damage in an uninsured motorist accident, you should always file a police report and insurance claim.

If you file an uninsured motorist claim but don’t get enough money to cover your vehicle repairs or medical bills, you may want to take the offending uninsured driver to small claims court.

Car Accident Medical Care

If you have been injured in an accident with an uninsured motorist, seek medical care from our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center within 14 days to ensure that you receive your PIP benefits.

Don’t wait. Get medical treatment today and call Impact Medical Sun City Center today at (813) 938-5195!