New Florida PIP Law

How new law impacts injured person's rights

The new Florida PIP law is said to be a huge win for insurance companies. Although the insurance industry will, ultimately, pay out less in claims, these changes are poised to have an enormous effect on those outside the industry. Personal injury protection (PIP) is, without a doubt, one of the most important aspects to an effective insurance policy, but the new law could have the effect of negatively impacting insured individuals.

There are many different types of car insurances, but one of the most beneficial in the state of Florida is no-fault insurance. One may find himself asking, "What is no-fault insurance?" This form of car insurance usually covers:

• Bodily injury
• Medical bills
• Other losses associated with the incident, such as lost wages

This type of insurance may protect the insured and reduce the wait time for claims to be paid. With no-fault insurance, there is no need to wait for a lawsuit to be settled in order to receive payment. However, not everyone has no-fault insurance which, therefore, means that the personal injury protection portion of a traditional policy would be used to pay claims. Unfortunately, with the reform of PIP policies, significant changes have been made that have negative repercussions on insured drivers.

One of the biggest changes with the new Florida PIP law, is the stringent time frame in which accident victims are required to obtain medical care after an incident occurs. The new law requires that injured parties receive initial care within 14 days of the accident. This is in direct contrast to the previous law which placed no restrictions on the amount of time for obtaining care. Therefore, if treatment is sought after the fourteen day period, insurance companies will refuse to pay out claims. A personal injury lawyer will be required to pay careful attention to this detail when filing cases on behalf of accident victims. Maneuvering the new policies will, ultimately, require a well-versed accident attorney for those with complicated, high-impact cases.

Another significant change with regard to the new Florida PIP law is the requirement for only certain types of medical care to be considered as acceptable. Acupuncturists and massage therapists are no longer considered to be adequate forms of medical treatment. Although insurers tout these changes as beneficial due to the potential decrease in overly-excessive medical care, patients that wish to obtain less intrusive forms of medical attention will be denied payment from insurance providers. This change lowers the overall benefit for victims considerably, while forcing unwanted forms of care. This, essentially, allows insurance companies to make decisions about care options instead of patients working with their doctors to decide what is best. An exceptional auto accident lawyer is

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