Fire rescue responded to the scene of a horrible accident in Miami-Dade County, Florida that split a car in two. According to Miami-Dade Police, the car crashed into a light pole near the Turnpike (Southbound) ramp on NW 41st Street, Thursday.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported one person by air to Jackson Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. The Miami herald reported this car accident but didn’t mention whether it was the driver or the passenger who was injured. Regardless of who is at fault in a car accident, a passenger can make a claim against their own PIP (Personal injury protection) insurance which will pay up to $10,000 of medical bills and lost wages.
In Florida, in a 1 car accident the passenger can try to get a car accident settlement for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills by making a claim against the at fault driver’s bodily injury insurance if the driver has this insurance coverage. Drivers in Florida are not required to carry bodily injury insurance. If the driver didn’t own the car that he was driving, the passenger could also make a claim to try to get an auto accident settlement against the person who owned the car.
The insurance company for the owner of the car is responsible for paying for a passenger’s injuries (pain and suffering, lost wages) if the driver caused the accident. If the driver and owner of the car didn’t have any (or enough) insurance at the time of the accident, a passenger can make a claim against his (the passenger’s) uninsured motorist insurance. (if the passenger has this insurance). An owner of a car in Florida does not have to have uninsured motorist insurance in Florida.
The passenger would need to give his medical bills and records to the insurance adjuster (handling the claim) so the insurance company can see how much they think the claim is worth.
If the driver of the car (that a passenger is in) was drunk, the passenger could try to get a drunk driving settlement by giving the drunk driver’s insurance company proof that he was drunk. The passenger can do this by getting the police report (long version) or getting the criminal records file.