Founding Attorney · Former Licensed Claims Adjuster
Most of what determines a Florida car accident case isn't argued in a courtroom — it's set by a handful of rules that operate quietly from the moment of impact. Here are the seven that matter, from someone who applied them from the carrier side for twenty years.
1. No-fault comes first
Your own PIP coverage pays initial medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. Serious injuries open the door to a claim against the at-fault driver for full damages.
2. The 14-day medical rule
PIP benefits require initial treatment within 14 days of the crash. Delay costs coverage — and hands the liability insurer a 'they weren't really hurt' argument at the same time.
3. Two years to file
For crashes governed by Florida's current law, negligence suits must generally be filed within two years. Evidence, however, disappears far faster than deadlines — cameras overwrite, witnesses move on.
4. Modified comparative fault
Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault — and if you're found more than 50% responsible, you recover nothing. This is why carriers work so hard to shift blame percentages; every point of fault they pin on you is money off the claim.
5. Crash reports and what you say
Florida requires reporting significant crashes, and the report becomes the claim's founding document. What you say at the scene and to insurers afterward gets quoted back — accuracy beats speculation, and you're never required to give the other side's insurer a recorded statement.
6. Uninsured drivers are everywhere
Florida has one of the country's highest rates of uninsured drivers, and bodily-injury liability coverage isn't universally required here. Your own uninsured-motorist coverage is often the difference between a real recovery and nothing — check your policy before you need it.
7. Damages come in categories
Medical costs, future care, lost wages and earning capacity, property loss including diminished value, and — beyond the no-fault threshold — pain and suffering. Claims get undervalued when categories get skipped; a complete demand is the single most controllable factor in your outcome.
These rules run every Florida crash claim. Applying them for maximum value is the job — and the free consultation is where it starts.
Talk through your accident→Think this applies to your situation?
Every case is different. Get a free, confidential review from someone who has seen claims from the inside.