You will experience a range of losses after a car accident in Tampa, FL. You may need to pay out-of-pocket to have your car towed, the hospital will send you a bill for your emergency room visit to stabilize you and provide emergency care, and the time you miss from work will accumulate as you take time off from your job to recover, attend medical appointments, and receive physical therapy.
Many accident victims, therefore, wonder, “Can I be reimbursed for lost wages after a Tampa car accident?” and in most cases, the answer is yes. After suffering a disabling injury in a car accident, an attorney from Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can review your claim and determine the compensation you can rightfully seek.
If you’ve been hurt in a Tampa car accident, call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers at (813) 223-6200 or contact us online for a free consultation
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Tampa, FL
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers is well-known in Tampa, Florida, for being “The Aggressive Attorneys.” Since 2001, we have battled against at-fault drivers and billion-dollar insurers on behalf of the firm’s injured clients.
After you suffer an injury in a car accident, our Tampa car accident lawyers will provide the following:
- A free assessment of your case to evaluate your claim and explain your legal options
- Nearly 120 years of combined experience representing accident victims
- A track record of recovering millions of dollars for our injured clients
A car accident can leave you with a load of bills and no way to pay them, so reach out to Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to explore the injury compensation you can seek after your car crash.
How Many Accidents Result in Lost Wages?
In 2021, 252,971 people in Florida sustained a traffic accident injury, according to the Florida Crash Dashboard. The number includes:
- 5,958 cyclists injured in bicycle accidents
- 7,331 pedestrians injured in pedestrian accidents
Additionally, tens of thousands of these injuries occurred in single-vehicle crashes. According to the Florida Crash Facts Report, 209,102 people were injured in multi-vehicle collisions that year.
Not all of these people were of working age. A significant senior population has been involved in crashes, according to the report, as well as many young families that, unfortunately, implicate thousands of accident victims under the age of 19. If you deduct roughly 20,000 seniors and 20,000 minors from the Florida Crash Facts Report, you still have about 170,000 working-age adults injured in car crashes.
How To Get Reimbursed for Lost Wages After a Tampa Car Accident
Florida employs no-fault auto insurance, under which all car owners must buy personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in their auto insurance policies. After a crash, any occupants of the vehicles implicated in the crash can file PIP claims with the insurer for their vehicle. Anyone involved can claim PIP benefits for their injuries, including the driver who caused the crash, hence the name “no-fault.”
PIP benefits cover up to $10,000 in losses, but that coverage does not pay for all of your losses. Under Florida law, your insurer only needs to pay the following:
- 80% of your medical expenses
- 60% of your income losses
As such, if you were to miss eight days of work after your car accident, resulting in $1,000 in lost income, your no-fault insurer would only pay you $600 after you file proof of your losses.
Florida has two important exceptions to these limits, however, and if you meet either of them, you can pursue a claim for all of your losses from the at-fault driver.
Economic Losses Exceed The Policy Limit
First, you can pursue a claim for all of your unreimbursed medical and wage losses if you hit your policy limits. In other words, if you have $15,000 in medical bills and $5,000 in lost wages, your insurer is obligated to pay $12,000 in medical benefits and $3,000 in disability benefits. In a scenario where your policy limit is $10,000, though, your insurer cannot fully compensate you.
As such, you will have $10,000 in unreimbursed losses that you can pursue in an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Significant Permanent Injury
Florida also allows you to bypass the no-fault system if you suffer a significant, permanent injury, such as:
- The loss of an important body function
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- A significant injury that has a reasonable probability of not improving
If you fit into any of these categories, you can pursue your entire amount of lost income, including past and future wage losses. You can even seek reimbursement for your diminished earning capacity over your remaining lifespan due to permanent disabilities.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Tampa Car Accident Lawyers
Your car accident injuries can temporarily or permanently disable you from working. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss how we can pursue your lost wages after your crash. Our Tampa car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if you do.
