car accident referral services

CAR ACCIDENT REFERRAL SERVICES
In Lee County, on average, there are 77 car accidents daily. The same can be said for Boca Raton, Tampa, Orlando, or a city near you. Keeping these numbers in mind, it only seems fitting that there are close to 6 million car accidents in the United States each year.

Despite technological advances and better safety measures, both on the road and inside each car, these numbers only seem to be growing. While this is true, it also appears as if the number of vehicles on the road has exploded over the years.

Even though you believe that you follow the rules and drive safely, these statistics mean that you or your loved ones are at risk of experiencing a car accident at some point in the future. When this happens (if it hasn't happened already), then it will be critical for you to have a thorough understanding of what your next plan of action needs to be.

While your first reflex will be to call the police, you'll learn in the next few minutes that there are many other vital steps to be undertaken. In addition to this, you should also know that Florida is one of the 12 states that follow no-fault insurance laws. This is why it is imperative for all Florida residents to understand that they could be liable for auto accident cases, regardless of whether they were at fault.

Besides knowing your next plan of action, it is also essential for car accident victims to find experienced car accident referral services. This will probably be your next step after calling-in the police and exchanging valuable information from other drivers.
Car Accident Statistics
Before we present you with the numbers, you should know that Florida is among those states with the highest rate of road accidents. About 400,000 accidents occur each year, and 2018's numbers had reached 401,851.

Out of these accidents, over 3000 resulted in fatalities. There were precisely 3,150 deaths in traffic accidents in 2018 alone. This number is higher than those that were recorded in 2017.

In 2017, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 391,782 accidents, and 45,620 of these crashes had resulted in severe injuries. Taking these numbers into account, it seems as if the probability of finding yourself in a car accident in Florida is relatively high, even if you were the most gifter driver in the world.
Physical Recovery From Accidents
If you received injuries because of a car accident, your priority should be to have medical professionals inspect your physical health. However, if you weren't taken to the hospital after a car accident, we would recommend that you seek medical attention as soon as you've attended to all the details on the crash site.

You see, many categories of injuries cannot be detected after your first examination with paramedics on the roads. For this reason, it can mean the difference between life and death if you have yourself checked as early as possible.

Suppose you decide to pursue claims against your insurance provider. In that case, your medical report signifies injuries received after a car accident can mean the difference between obtaining a fair settlement or lipping back home, empty-handed.
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The Real Cost of Recovery From a Car Accident
Unless you or your loved ones have experienced a car accident with injuries, you will probably be unaware of what kind of costs will entail a full physical recovery. Slowly, your medical expenses will start to pile-up and could include some, if not all, of the following:

● Emergency room fees
● Ambulance service fees
● Blood testing
● X-rays and MRIs
● Surgery
● Physical therapy
● Follow-up appointments with physicians
● Anti-inflammatories, pain medications, and sundry medications

Of course, all of the costs mentioned above are directly related to the costs of healthcare. Some other tangible and intangible expenses include:

● You and your family's pain and suffering
● Decreased future earning capacity
● Lost wages or benefits from unpaid leaves at work
● Impound and towing fees
● Property damage to your car or other objects and valuables

A full financial recovery would require you to calculate your total expenses and losses after the car accident. That being said, an accident referral service could allow you to find a personal injury lawyer who knows exactly how to calculate these costs to get full reimbursements for victims from responsible parties.
PIP Insurance
As any Florida law firm will tell you, both drivers and vehicle owners should have insurance coverage for personal injury protection (PIP) worth $10,000. PIP benefits will be granted by your insurance provider and not the responsible party's. This is precisely what Florida laws refer to by naming it a 'no-fault state.'

PIP is also responsible for reimbursing you for 80% of your cumulative medical bills and 60% of your estimated lost wages (only for up to the insurance coverage minimum). However, most car accidents result in injuries that cause medical expenses to exceed the minimum $10,000 covered by PIP. Even if it doesn't, your first 24-hours in the hospital will consume this insurance coverage.

Besides, PIP insurance also pays out $5000 in the event of a death to cover for burial and funeral expenses. Of course, there are certain limitations for PIP coverage. For example, you must receive medical treatment within 14 days after the accident to be entitled to the coverage. If you do get diagnosed with a medical condition, your insurance provider will be liable to cover all the follow-up sessions related to the accident injury.

While PIP is a mandatory requirement under Florida law, it is also beneficial for people who may have gotten injured in a traffic collision. However, it usually falls short of completely reimbursing you for all your expenses. For this reason, medical referral services and car accident and injury lawyers can help you receive every last bit of compensation you are entitled to.
Mitigating Factors According to Florida Car Accident Laws
Every car accident has the potential of being deadly or dangerous, but some factors (mentioned above) make them exceptionally dangerous. Among the most common mitigating factors in Florida's car accident laws are intoxication and weight disparities.

As mentioned earlier, Florida is known as a no-fault state. For this reason, if you were ever to get into an accident, you will have to file a claim using your PIP insurance. This is every driver's responsibility regardless of whether they were at fault.

In addition, Florida laws also use 'pure comparative negligence', which is simply the practice of splitting damages with respect to what percentage of fault each driver may have been at. For instance, if a driver, let's call them Driver X, was at 70% fault and Driver Y was, decidedly, at only 30% fault, then the cost of injuries, rehab, repairs, damages, etc. will be split in the same manner. Simply put, Driver X will owe 70% of all costs, whereas Driver Y will only pay for 30% of Driver X's damages.
Changes in the Law
Florida PIP laws were subject to changes in 2013 and these included:

Lower Medical Coverage Except for Emergencies

PIP currently compensates you for 80% of your medical expenses, which can total up to $10,000. However, the law's latest increments have added a condition that the initial medical expenses should be medical emergencies. For non-emergency medical expenses, the new PIP benefit was set at $2500.

You Should Obtain Initial Medical Treatments Within 14 Days

If you fail to get treatment from qualified medical service providers within two weeks following the accident, you will not be entitled to any PIP benefits.

Acupuncture and Massage Therapy Is Not Covered

Since these and other similar medical expenses are not medical emergencies, you will be required to pay for them from your own pocket, unless you obtained coverage for them beforehand.

Changes in the Law for Referral Services

In mid-March, in 2018, the Supreme Court of Florida had also approved a couple of amendments to the rules that regulated lawyer referral services. For starters, these amendments had legally changed the terminology of 'lawyer referral service' to 'qualifying providers.'

In doing so, the definition of the service was broadened so that all pooled or grouped advertising programs or matching and referral services can be subject to the same rules.

This new rule also allows lawyers to practice without applying for malpractice insurance policies. However, these latest requirements have also added a prohibition for:

  • Pressuring or requiring any participating lawyers to make cross-referrals
  • Providing any participating lawyers with the documentation for compliance with Florida's Bar rules
  • They are implying or stating that the referral service provider are, in fact, law firms.

Under these new rules, referral service providers will have to comply with standard lawyer advertising rules and will also continue to be subject to the prohibition on fee sharing. They will also be required to continue to only refer and match clientele to those who are authorized to provide said services.

According to these new rules, a lawyer referral service will now also continue to respond to official inquiries from the Bar, within 15 days. Finally, they will also continue to be subject to the prohibition of implying or stating any endorsement of the Florida Bar. All of these regulations are meant to be followed by all participating lawyers.

Among the most drastic of these changes was Florida lawyers' prohibition from serving new clients from referral services if they also refer them to non-legal professions, following the same incident.

The definition for 'qualifying provider,' set by these changes in the law, now includes:

  • Leads or tips programs
  • Pooled or grouped advertising programs
  • Online matching services
  • Directories
FAQ

  • As is required by Florida Statute 316.065, drivers should report an accident to police officials, highway patrol, or county sheriff in the following circumstances:
  • If an intoxicated driver caused the accident injury
  • Property damages after the accident seem to be more than $500
  • You were in a hit and run accident.
  • Fatal injuries or death occurred in either vehicle.
The Advantages of Referral Services Over Lawyers in Certain Situations/For Certain Categories of Citizens
Attorney referral services assist people by finding them law firms, who in turn, provide experts for their client's field of matter. These services are typically spearheaded by Bar Associations and many of them either offer free consultation or do so for a small upfront fee. Also, the primary clientele of referral services are people who have never dealt with lawyers or law firms directly. For this reason, you can expect referral services to act as a matchmaker between you and your desired area of the law.
Florida Bar Certification
A Florida Bar Certification recognizes legal referral services' or lawyers' proficiency, skills and special knowledge in specific areas of law, ethics in practice and professionalism. With the help of this certification, stakeholders of the law (such as car accident victims) can identify specialists in the field and specific areas of the law.

If you contact our car accident attorney referral service, we will connect you to injury lawyers who have received a Florida Bar Certification, because in your time of need, you shouldn't settle for anything less.
Contact Florida Car Accident SOS Accident qualifying provider lawyer service
Have you, your relatives or friends witnessed a car accident?

Contact SOS Accident to find out exactly how you can recover compensations for your injuries and trouble.

Call us to schedule a free consultation with our team of car accident experts today. As soon as you do, we will review your case and answer all your queries shortly.
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