Maybe you were in the Panama City area to celebrate the wedding of your cousin, or perhaps you found yourself in Florida due to professional obligations. Whether your travel is for business or personal pleasure, there is always the possibility that you could get hurt in Florida while you actually live in another state.
Whether you end up injured in a robbery at a grocery store, a car crash or a slip-and-fall incident because of poorly maintained floors at your hotel, you may have significant financial losses because of the injury you suffer while visiting Florida. Even if you have decent health insurance, your treatment will likely involve an out-of-network provider and could impact your travel as well.
How can you protect yourself from unnecessary financial hardship after getting hurt in Florida on a trip there?
Explore the insurance options
Especially if your injury involves a car crash of some sort, it will be very important for you to educate yourself about the insurance coverage available to you. The rules for mandatory car insurance are drastically different in different states, which can lead to some confusion during claims involving drivers from different locations.
Florida requires at least $10,000 of property damage coverage. Most Florida policies also include personal injury protection (PIP) that provides no-fault medical coverage, and you may not have PIP coverage with an out-of-state policy.
Consider a personal injury lawsuit
Whether you got hurt because of a slip-and-fall situation or due to criminal activity, you may be able to file a claim in the Florida civil courts. When there is evidence that either misconduct, such as illegal activity, or negligence cause someone’s injuries, they may be able to sue the person or business ultimately at fault for their crash if there isn’t enough insurance coverage available.
The idea of filing a lawsuit may seem particularly stressful if you live in another state, but hiring a Florida attorney might mean that you won’t need to worry much about the process. Many lawsuits end up settling outside of court, in which case you will never need to be present to testify.
Even if your testimony is eventually necessary to maximize your compensation in a lawsuit, having an attorney represent you at every stage in the process can minimize how much travel is necessary to pursue your claim. A lawyer can also be a powerful resource during the challenging process of negotiating with insurance companies. Learning more about Florida’s personal injury rules can help you if you got hurt on a recent trip to the Sunshine State.
