Injuries hurt, but for many, the loss of a beloved vehicle is just as painful. Florida law outlines how a car’s value is determined after a crash. Florida law states that someone whose car is a total loss after a car accident is entitled to the actual cash value of the car.
This means that you should get enough compensation to replace your totaled car with a vehicle of the same make, model, condition, mileage and features. Insurance companies use a variety of companies to determine the actual cash value (ACV) of a totaled car.
Since Florida is a no-fault state, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage through your own car insurance should pay up to $10,000 of your medical treatment or loss wages after a crash. This ensures that you still receive some compensation if you collide with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
If the person who caused the accident is uninsured or underinsured, you still may be able to receive additional compensation through your own insurance coverage if you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Your car accident attorney in Lakeland can represent you throughout this process.
This is a serious issue for many car accident victims. Their car may not be a total loss, but they do need to keep driving their car to get to work. It simply isn’t reasonable for most people to wait until a claim is settled before getting their car repaired and going back to everyday life.
If you need to drive your car after an accident, make sure you get it checked out immediately. There are many ways in which a car can be dangerous to drive but still look fine from the outside. Getting a car assessed by a reputable mechanic provides proof of your damages and lets you know whether or not your car is safe to drive.