Whether you have been T-boned, rear-ended, side-swiped, doored, or thrown from your bicycle because a driver failed to yield to you, you probably have many insurance questions. For example, you may be wondering if you can collect compensation for your medical bills and lost wages, even though you were on a bike and not in a car.
Understanding Your Benefits
The good news is that in Florida, bicyclists hit by cars are covered by Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. This coverage is intended to cover your medical bills and a limited amount of lost income as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, the basic policy only covers 60 percent of a person’s lost income or 80 percent of the medical bills up to $10,000. This is why many people elect to have medical payments coverage that would pay for the additional 20 percent. Even if you have this type of coverage, you will have to fight to get your full $10,000 in benefits.
It is critical to remember that in order to qualify for PIP benefits in Florida, you have to visit a doctor within 14 days of your bicycle accident. Because $10,000 can be eaten up in medical bills very quickly due to hospital stays, MRI tests, x-ray tests, surgical costs, and physical therapy bills, it is important to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your auto insurance policy.
If you have this type of coverage, you should be able to recover more money for your medical expenses and lost income if the driver who hit you didn’t have enough insurance to compensate you. In the case that the driver who hit you didn’t have insurance, your automobile uninsured motorist coverage will kick in for your bicycle accident so that you will be able to recover for your lost wages, medical bills, and non-economic damages.
Getting the Compensation You Deserve
Many bicycle accident injuries result in serious losses that exceed the PIP coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. In the event that your lost income and medical bills surpass the limits you are entitled to under the law, you may want to consider pursuing a personal injury lawsuit to collect the compensation you need and deserve.
For help fighting for your full benefits and obtaining the maximum compensation possible in your case, you should contact Mallard Perez. Call our Sarasota office today for a free initial consultation or download our free accident report to learn more about your rights.
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