No Fault Auto Insurance; Holiday Drivng

  Thanksgiving begins a time of year when we all drive a little more often than usual and at times when we might be hurried. Taking I-75 to get from one end of town to another driving at higher speeds can make accidents especially dangerous. Collisions at these speeds can ruin holidays, sometimes causing wrongful deaths. Even with the University of Florida students away from Gainesville over the holidays driving conditions are hazardous. Driver distractions add to the likelihood of accidents. Don’t text while driving, pull over to talk on your cell phone, wear your seat belts. These measures dramatically improve your changes of a safer holiday. It you are in an auto accident remember the Florida No Fault law recently has significant changes.
    Florida No Fault also known as personal injury protection (PIP) law was adopted in 1972 in an effort to reduce litigation and to make sure anyone injured in an auto accident would quickly get money to treat their injuries. The legislation required that everyone who owned a car carry PIP insurance. If an accident occurred the driver’s insurance company would pay up to $10,000 to cover his or her own medical bills and lost wages after the accident, no matter who is at fault.
   The recent changes to the PIP law requires an accident victim to obtain treatment within 14 days in an ambulance or hospital, or from a physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractic physician, or dentist. The full $10,000 PIP medical benefit is available only if a physician, osteopathic physician, dentist, or a supervised physician’s assistant or advanced registered nurse practitioner determines that the insured has an “emergency medical condition.” Otherwise, the PIP medical benefit is limited to $2,500.
  Follow-up services and care requires a referral from a physician, osteopath, chiropractor or dentist. Massage therapists and acupuncture was eliminated from eligibility for PIP benefits. Call or visit should have questions.