Because an automobile accident lawyer in Live Oak, FL understands state laws relevant to personal injury cases, advice from that legal professional can be very advantageous for an individual trying to negotiate a settlement with an insurance company. In Florida, each person’s automotive insurance is supposed to pay for accident expenses no matter who was at fault. Insurers sometimes try to use state laws against their own policyholders.
Ignoring Safety Belt Laws
For instance, Florida state laws require everyone in passenger vehicles to wear safety belts. If anyone ignores this law and is injured in an accident, the insurer might dispute the claim. The adjuster might present research showing that these particular injuries could have been avoided by wearing a seatbelt.
The adjuster might offer to have the insurer pay for half of the medical expenses instead of covering all the bills; yet the injury may have been catastrophic, requiring hospitalization, surgery, and months of treatment. An automobile accident lawyer in Live Oak, FL may be needed to convince the insurance company to pay a larger amount.
Citations for Traffic Violations
If the driver was cited for a traffic violation like speeding, that could count against efforts to claim compensation from the insurer. Hiring a lawyer such as Duane E. Thomas, Attorney at Law may be advisable.
Stolen Car Issues
When a policyholder carries collision and comprehensive coverage on the vehicle, the insurance company is supposed to pay for incidents related to car theft. The car might be damaged or declared a total loss after a wreck caused by the thief. In some cases, the vehicle disappears and is never found.
Florida state law mandates that people never leave their vehicles unattended with keys inside. A large percentage of car thefts across the nation occur every year because people give thieves such easy access to the vehicle. An insurer may decline to pay for any expenses connected with a stolen car if the keys were in the vehicle. This may be impossible to prove if the vehicle has vanished, but easy enough if the individual that took the vehicle caused a collision and the key is in the ignition.
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