Kissimmee Property Damage Lawyer
If you were hit in a motor vehicle accident and suffered a personal injury, your car more than likely suffered physical damage as well. In these cases, it is usually not too hard to get your property damage covered by insurance. The value of the property damage component of your claim generally pales in comparison to the value of an injury claim, particularly if you suffered a permanent injury, as defined under Florida law. For this reason, many personal injury law firms won’t even bother with your case if all you have is a property damage claim.
Draper Law Office is different. We get a lot of calls from people who are frustrated with getting their property damage adequately covered by the insurance company. If you are in this boat, we would like to hear from you. Our Kissimmee property damage lawyers are more than happy to sit down with you and talk to you about your accident and damages. We always help our clients with the property damage portion of their injury claim, so even if you don’t think you’ve been physically hurt, our firm has the skills and experience to intervene on your behalf with the insurance company regarding your property damage claim. Our lawyers are experienced handling all manner of insurance disputes in Osceola County, including when the insurance company is acting in bad faith regarding covering your claim or settling for an appropriate amount.
How Do Property Damage Claims Work in Florida?
Along with Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Property Damage Liability (PDL) is required for all vehicles registered in the state of Florida. Both coverages must be in amounts of at least $10,000. PIP provides no-fault benefits if you are injured in a crash, regardless of who was at fault. PDL is liability coverage; it covers property damage to another vehicle caused by the policyholder. If you are in a crash caused by another driver, that driver is responsible to you for your property damage. They should pay to repair your vehicle or replace it if it is declared a total loss, up to their policy limits. If the accident is your fault, your property damage could be covered by your insurance if you purchased optional collision or comprehensive coverage.
Does Your Firm Handle Property Damage Claims if There Is no Physical Injury?
We will help you in whatever way we can, but if your car experienced physical damage, then you should definitely get yourself checked out by a doctor if you haven’t already. Nowadays, cars are built to absorb and withstand a great deal of shock from an impact while showing minimal damage to the car’s exterior. Meanwhile, the occupants of the vehicle absorb the shock of the impact as well. Just like the car, your body might show little exterior damage, such as minor bruising or nothing at all, but that does not mean you didn’t suffer an injury. There could be internal injuries or muscle tears or sprains that aren’t immediately apparent but will get worse as the days progress. The sooner in time after an accident that you see a doctor, the more likely you are to uncover a latent or hidden injury. Also, the doctor can let you know what symptoms to look out for over the next few days. Finally, seeing a doctor connects your possible injury to the accident and provides an important piece of documentation should you later need to file an injury claim.
If your car shows any damage at all, the collision was likely forceful enough to cause an injury, so seeing a doctor is a wise and prudent decision. Even if your car doesn’t show any property damage, if you feel ill or different after the accident, or if you hit your head on the vehicle interior, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. If you don’t have a regular physician, our office can refer you to a physician who sees and treats and people after a car accident.
Why Won’t the Insurance Company Pay for My Property Damage?
The property damage portion of a claim is typically paid fairly quickly after an accident and is usually not a big area of disagreement. If you are having trouble getting your property damage paid, the insurance company might be considering denying that they are liable to you at all. It might be that their driver has bodily injury liability insurance, and they don’t want to admit fault and be on the hook for any personal injury damages. If you suffer a “permanent injury” as defined in Florida law, you could recover significant damages for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering from the at-fault driver’s liability coverage. If the insurance company is giving you the runaround on your property damage claim or unreasonably dragging out the process, it’s time to call in an experienced auto accident property damage attorney to assist you.
Draper Law Office Is Here to Help With Your Kissimmee Property Damage Claim
Over 3,000 property damage crashes occur in Osceola County each year, and more than double that number happen in Polk County. If you need help getting paid for the property damage to your vehicle after a crash, call Draper Law Office in Kissimmee at 407-846-0075.
