This is one of those questions that invites really complicated answers.
Clearly, somebody pays the massive amounts of money associated with treatment for auto accident victims, along with missed wages and more.
But the relationship between financial parties gets a little abstract regardless of what the policy is in your state of residence. That leads to quite a few questions from people who are not used to this system, but who have unfortunately been injured in a roadside collision.
Fault and No-Fault States
Some U.S. states have a traditional system where the at-fault driver’s insurance pays the accident costs. Ultimately, although the driver doesn’t pay out of pocket, he or she will pay later in the form of insurance premiums that skyrocket after an at-fault accident.
Other states have a system called no-fault where accident victims seek payment from their own insurance companies.
Regardless of how this works, the insurance companies are paying auto accident costs with premium money, which is part of their capital framework. This ensures that accident victims will have access to the funds in general – that’s why states require drivers to purchase basic liability insurance to be covered. It’s a crime to drive without auto insurance, as you’ll quickly see if you are stopped at a road patrol without adequate and current coverage.
Beyond that, there is a question of how auto accident victims secure this money. Sometimes insurance companies don’t want to pay. Two companies might have differing ideas about who’s responsible to pay. An auto accident victim may not agree with an insurance company’s estimate. The list of potential problems goes on…also, there’s the difference between fault systems, and no fault systems, which were originally set up to deal with the problem of clogged courts. Insurer also manage policies called “limited tort” that limit the driver’s ability to bring cases to court related to auto accidents.
At Ovadia Law Group, we operate with skill and experience in the state of Florida, in order to help our clients to get their voices heard in the local court of law. If you have any questions about what you should seek for compensation in an auto accident injury case, give us a call and will sit down with you to figure out the path forward. We know that auto accidents can be a thorny issue in Florida law, and we are set up to provide you with the best legal representation, for the best chance at fair and equitable settlements.
