Were you or a loved one injured in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale? If so, your auto insurance policy’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage will compensate you for part of your lost wages. However, you can compel the at-fault driver to pay you for the remainder of your lost income and additional recoverable damages.
This car accident lawyer’s guide to navigating wage replacement solutions in Fort Lauderdale will clarify your financial recovery options. These tips can help you prove your wage loss and document hard-to-prove income. In addition, working with a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer on your claim usually comes at no upfront expense to you.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Will Cover Some Auto Accident Compensation
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), all registered vehicle owners in Florida must have PIP coverage. PIP covers your medical bills and up to 60% of your lost wages.
PIP compensation is available to Fort Lauderdale auto accident victims regardless of who caused the crash. While PIP relieves you of the burden of proving the at-fault driver’s negligence, it only partially compensates for your lost wages.
In addition, PIP’s total compensation has a minimum threshold of $10,000, which might not cover all your medical bills. Your lawyer will review your policy’s limitations and help you file a complete and accurate claim with your insurance provider.
What You Need to Know About PIP’s Notification and Filing Deadlines in Florida
First, do not wait to get medical attention to file your PIP claim. Not getting immediate medical care can cause your injuries to worsen. In addition, failing to seek medical care within 14 days of the accident could disqualify you from filing a PIP claim.
Part of securing stability after accidents is getting the treatment you need and the compensation you deserve. A lawyer can handle your claim while you focus on getting better.
Florida’s Serious Injury Threshold Might Allow You to File a Third-Party Claim
When your injuries are catastrophic enough to cause significantly lengthy or permanent job loss, you could file a third-party lawsuit. According to Florida Statutes § 627.737, a serious injury is one that causes:
- Substantial or total loss of a limb or bodily function
- Significant or permanent scarring
- Death
Your medical records and future prognosis can attest to the severity of your injuries and your ability to return to work.
How to Prove Negligence Caused Your Car Accident in Fort Lauderdale
To sue another driver, you must prove their negligence fully or partially caused your accident. That means proving the required legal components of negligence:
- Duty of care: Each driver’s responsibility to drive safely and follow the rules of the road.
- Breach of duty: Any deviation that breaches a driver’s legal duty to drive safely.
- Causation: Evidence that the crash would not have happened without the at-fault drivers’ negligent act.
- Damages: The financial expenses and losses caused by the accident.
In addition to proving negligence, your lawyer can help you navigate Florida’s negligence law, which prohibits you from recovering any damages if an insurance adjuster or jury finds you more than 50% at fault for the collision.
Third-Party Car Accident Cases Have a Statute of Limitations in Florida
You generally have two years to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, per Florida Statutes § 95.11. Failing to meet the filing deadline could mean you cannot file your lawsuit, or the court will immediately dismiss it.
Losing the right to pursue the at-fault driver could leave you without financial stability post-accident. A accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale can help you understand the deadline and how it applies to your case.
Types of Wages You Can Replace After a Car Accident
You can usually request compensation for lost wages from the date of the accident until the date you can return to work. This compensation is often called current and future lost wages since your case may settle before you return to work.
Current and future lost wage recovery includes:
- Full- and part-time wages from your regular job
- Wage-related overtime pay, bonuses, commissions, sick days, and vacation days
- Complex earnings, including gig-economy income (e.g., rideshare and food delivery services)
- Income from full or partial ownership of a business
Your accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale will collect your paycheck stubs, direct deposit receipts, tax records, and other documents proving your lost income.
Compensation if You Can Never Return to Work After an Accident
If your injuries prevent you from ever being able to work, your lawyer can request compensation for your loss of future earning capacity. This portion of your injury claim can help you recoup the income you would have earned until you reached retirement age.
Additional Compensation You Could Recover From the At-Fault Driver
Lost income forms only a portion of your injury claim. Your lawyer could also request the following economic and noneconomic compensatory damages on your behalf:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation and therapy bills
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional despair
- Disfigurement and disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Your lawyer will document these damages and fight to obtain the maximum financial value of your car accident claim. Fort Lauderdale
Contact the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato for Legal Support After a Car Accident
If you or someone you love suffered injuries that kept you from working after a car accident, you can recover any lost income related to your injuries and recovery. The car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato will clarify how we navigate wage replacement and guide you through the financial recovery process.
Find out how hard we go to bat for you by calling our team today at (954) 633-8270.
