Being in a motor vehicle accident can be a very scary situation. It’s even scarier if you, a loved one, or someone else is injured because of the accident. You’re probably familiar with filing an insurance claim to get a payment or having to sue an at-fault driver following an accident to be compensated. But what about no injury car accident compensation?
If you’ve been in a car accident but haven’t gotten physically injured, you still may receive compensation because of your involvement in the accident. A personal injury lawyer can help ensure fair compensation for your non-injury claim.Table of contents
- How Do You Determine the Amount of Compensation?
- How Do I Get Compensation After a Car Accident?
- Should I Hire an Attorney for My No Injury Compensation Case?
How Do You Determine the Amount of Compensation?
A lot of factors can determine the amount of compensation due to a victim of a car accident in response to a car accident claim. The following are all part of the equation:
No-Fault States
Several states, including Florida, are considered no-fault states. Instead of spending time determining who’s “at fault” for the accident, each accident victim involved will file a car accident claim with their own insurance company instead of the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
When getting your auto insurance coverage, insurance companies have you add a minimum value of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) to your policy. This is to cover these no-fault insurance claims. This policy will help to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other costs associated with car accidents.
This means that when you’re in a car accident, your insurance company will cover your property damage or personal injury due to an accident instead of filing with other insurance companies. Because of this, it can be challenging to get any additional compensation for pain and suffering. But it can also help you get a quick payout from your insurance company.
In a no-fault state, you’ll need to meet a “threshold” to pursue legal action and the compensation amount is determined by the severity of your injuries or overall impact on basic functions.
To better your chances of getting the compensation you deserve, contact a personal injury attorney to review your personal injury claim. They can help you meet the threshold to pursue legal action and collect statements and supporting documentation for your claim.
Damages and Injuries
The amount of damage to your property and injuries you or a loved one sustained because of the car crash can affect the compensation or settlement amount for your claim.
Once you file your claim, insurance adjusters from your insurance company will review accident and police report and medical records to determine if you suffered any serious personal injury as a result of your car accident.
Even if you don’t have an obvious personal injury at the scene of the accident, it’s important to monitor your health in case anything develops in the following days, weeks, and months. Seek medical treatment if anything feels off, not just if you have a serious injury.
Damages also include your property as well. Even if you haven’t suffered a serious injury, you may need to make a claim with your insurance company. When reviewing the settlement amount, be sure it not only repairs any immediate damage but also any future issues that may arise because of the damage.
Statute of Limitations
In Florida, you have four years from the car crash to file your personal injury suit for additional compensation not received through your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance policy.
You don’t need to immediately accept a settlement amount from the insurance company. But there also isn’t an unlimited amount of time you have to decide to move forward with legal action.
Consult with an attorney who has experience with Florida car accident cases. Many law offices offer a free consultation to learn about your case. Consider reaching out so you don’t miss the deadline to file your insurance claim or move forward with legal action if needed.
Before you sign or agree to anything, it’s worth consulting a lawyer to review the settlement options being offered. Once you’ve agreed to or signed a settlement, it can be difficult to change or pursue other legal options.
How Do I Get Compensation After a Car Accident?
If you’re in a car accident in Florida but haven’t suffered injuries, you might be wondering what compensation you’re entitled to. There’s no “menu” for the amount of compensation offered for different injuries related to car accident settlements. So, it can be very overwhelming trying to determine what kind of settlement you should get following your car accident and if that settlement is “fair” based on the car crash you were involved in.
When looking at a settlement amount, consider things like:
Insurance Settlement
In most car accident cases, Insurance companies will want to settle with you as soon as possible. This is the most affordable option for them, but not always the best solution for you. Before settling with an insurance company or signing anything, it’s important to fully understand the settlement being offered to you.
By signing and accepting this settlement agreement from the insurance company, you could be closing your claim and taking the opportunity for any additional compensation off the table.
Move Forward with Legal Action
If you’re unsure about the settlement offered by the insurance company or don’t know what compensation you’re entitled to under the law based on your car accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney or one who specializes in car accidents.
Using their expertise, a personal injury attorney can review the settlement offered and provide you with legal advice based on your case and their legal knowledge of car accidents and other cases they’ve handled. Not every car accident case needs legal action to be resolved, but it may be necessary to receive a fair settlement.
Your personal injury attorney can negotiate with the insurance company for you if necessary before moving forward with legal action. Once you have a trusted attorney on your side, they can be sure all the necessary information and documents have been collected to get you the most money possible.
Should I Hire an Attorney for My No Injury Compensation Case?
The short answer is yes. Because of all the intricate details of suing and pursuing compensation, you need the help of a seasoned car accident attorney.
When you file insurance claims or a property damage claim for your accident, an insurance adjuster will review the claim and decide based on the information provided. If information is missing or incomplete, your claim could be denied or a smaller compensation amount offered in your case.
You may still receive compensation for your involvement in a car accident, even if you don’t have any serious injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can review the information specific to your case to help you navigate the confusing and overwhelming legal process to be sure you’re compensated for being part of this car accident.
A personal injury attorney can also help you collect compensation if you weren’t injured during the accident but someone in your family was, leaving you to care for them or for the pain and suffering you’re dealing with because of the accident.
Choose an attorney with personal injury law experience to create an attorney-client relationship with to help you seek compensation. Their experience handling other auto accident cases will be helpful for discovery, mediation, and even filing a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.
Your attorney will discuss the average car accident settlement with you and how other car accident cases like yours end up being compensated for. They will work to make sure your car accident settlement is fair and your insurance provider, the other driver’s insurance, or even the other driver are all part of the accident settlement.
Denmon Pearlman is a law firm that handles Florida car accident and personal injury cases for car accident victims. They offer a free, no-obligation legal consultation to car accident victims, so call us today at (813) 694 – 4130. We’ll walk you through what steps you need to take before you take legal action during your free case evaluation. We also encourage our clients to ask questions about our process during the free consultation and along the way as we work to help you get the compensation you deserve.