Understanding Florida Car Accident Law

If you are a Florida motorist, you must familiarize yourself with car accident law to prepare you if something unexpected happens. Millions of motorists traverse Florida roadways each day, and accidents can and do happen.

It is up to you to educate yourself on what to do after an accident and learn what Florida accident laws say and how they can impact your claim.

What Are the Minimum Insurance Requirements?

First things first. We need to talk about the minimum insurance requirements for a motorist in Florida. The insurance requirements in Florida include bodily injury coverage, property damage coverage, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist coverage.

Based on driving history, some of these may cost more for motorists than others. These coverages should have $10,000 per individual limits, and bodily injury and uninsured motorist coverage also cover up to $20,000 per accident.

What Are the Driving Laws for Teen Drivers?

Since Florida uses what is called a graduated licensing system, a teen needs to have driving experience before they can achieve full driving privileges. Once your teen reaches the age of fifteen, they can apply for their learner's permit.

For the first 90 days, your teen can only drive up until 10 pm during daylight hours. Additionally, they must also be accompanied by a licensed driver over the age of 21.

Once your teen has held their learner's permit for a year, is over sixteen years old, and can apply for their driver's license after completing at least 50 hours of certified practice. However, there will still be restrictions until the new driver turns eighteen.

What Are the Requirements When Accident Reporting?

If you are a Florida motorist, you must report any accident you are involved in if the accident resulted in a death, serious injury, or property damage exceeding $500. Report the accident to local law enforcement or the Florida Highway Patrol, depending on the location.

If you were involved in the accident, you should make sure everyone is okay before doing anything else. All vehicles should also be moved off the roadway when possible to avoid any other accidents from occurring and to avoid blocking traffic. Once you have reported the car accident, you want to exchange contact information as well as insurance information with one another.

Speak to any witnesses there may be on the scene and take photos and videos of the vehicles involved, the roadway, the conditions, and whatever else you can that can help prove fault. It is also recommended that you document any injuries there are as well as what the weather conditions are at the time.

What Is Florida's No-Fault Insurance?

Florida is considered a no-fault state. This means that their insurance coverage covers their own medical bills and lost wages if they are in an accident. Compensation following an accident is first sought after from the motorist's own insurance company.

However, personal injury protection only covers about 60 percent of lost wages, and the insured must also pay their deductible.

Are There Exceptions to No-Fault?

Yes, there are a few exceptions when it comes to Florida's no-fault insurance. One of the biggest exceptions is in the form of permanent injury. This includes death, a significant and/or permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, and a significant amount of disfigurement or permanent scarring.

In these cases, a driver can bring a claim against the at-fault driver for any expenses not covered by their own personal injury protection. When determining fault in a car accident, you need to supply as much evidence as possible, including witness statements, police reports, medical records, photos and videos of the scene, vehicle damage, and damage reports.

It may be in your best interest to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in SW Florida who can help you navigate the process and ensure you receive fair compensation for damages resulting from an auto accident.