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Passenger Injury Lawyer Tampa

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Passenger Injuries in Tampa Car Accident Cases

One of the good things about Tampa being in a no-fault insurance state operates in the favor of passengers. One way or another, if a passenger suffers an “emergency medical condition” as a result of an auto accident, his or her first $10,000 of medical expenses and lost time from work are covered by either their driver’s personal injury protection (PIP) insurance or their own PIP insurance.

The general rule is that this coverage is payable no matter who was at fault for an accident. If that passenger fails to treat for injuries within 14 days of the date of their accident, or he or she hasn’t established that “emergency medical condition,” PIP coverage is reduced to a woefully inadequate $2,500.

Under law, if a passenger wants to file an actual personal injury lawsuit against his or her driver or any other person or entity, that passenger must show a serious personal injury or losses that exceed the $10,000 limit. That’s what’s known as the serious injury threshold. That statute categorizes four types of injuries that overcome the threshold that allows an auto accident victim to seek compensation that is over and above anything paid pursuant to no-fault coverage. Those requirements follow:

It Only Gets More Complicated:

Any one of these threshold issues makes the claim or lawsuit process significantly more complicated. You’ll be in need of an experienced and respected Tampa PIP and personal injury lawyer who can guide you through the process. It’s nothing that you should start on alone. Whoever is covering the PIP and the general liability will likely take advantage of you.

Comparative Negligence:

The partial defense of comparative negligence is raised when the claimant is shown to have shared a percentage of negligence for an accident. That percentage of negligence is then deducted from his or her award. The good news about being a passenger who was injured in a motor vehicle crash is that you weren’t operating the vehicle, so it’s extremely difficult for you to be held accountable for any comparative negligence.

Who is Responsible for Passenger Injuries After a Tampa Car Crash?

After overcoming the Florida injury threshold, a passenger has a legal right to bring a personal injury claim or lawsuit seeking compensation for his or her injuries and damages. If the accident only involved one vehicle, the passenger’s driver would likely be responsible. If it involved two vehicles, claims might be made against both drivers. An experienced Tampa car accident lawyer is in the best position to identify all possible sources of financial recovery.

Taxis, Uber, and Lyft:

All taxi cabs, Uber and Lyft vehicles are required to carry minimum insurance coverage in amounts that are significantly higher than those of the general public. Uber and Lyft coverage gets complicated for passengers though, and you don’t want to get caught in the middle of two different insurance companies, neither of which wants to pay.

Contact a Tampa Car Accident Lawyer Today

In car accidents, passengers are often injured more seriously than drivers. If you were a passenger, and you were injured in a motor vehicle accident in or around Tampa, contact our offices right away to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation with an experienced Tampa car accident attorney. You can tell us what happened, and we can answer your questions. After that, we’ll give you our best advice on how to proceed. If we’re retained to represent you, our goal is to maximize any proceeds that you might obtain through a settlement or an award.

Call now to schedule a confidential consultation.

Click here for a free consultation so that you can focus on healing while we take care of everything else.

what our clients say

Client Testimonials & Reviews

I have received nothing but the best service I can ask for from Mike Hancock’s office. He and his office are true professionals in every sense of the word. They guided me along the process and had outstanding communication. I am more than pleased with the services they provided, and I would definitely recommend them to anybody.

— Kayla Hamilton

From first to last interactions with attorneys Mike and Claire Hancock, to all the supporting staff and legals, the office has always been courteous, knowledgeable, and professional. They have always gotten right back with me when I had a question, and would not hesitate to highly recommend them.

—Debbie Smith

Absolutely fantastic! The Attorneys and its staff are very knowledgeable. Through my entire process they kept constant communication and the return of calls. I couldn't have made a better choice.Can’t say enough. Thank you, Mike and Gabby.

- L.C.

I want to express my thanks to you and your staff for handling my case. Your expertise and kindness in representing me was invaluable. Thank you so much for your professional and effective help. I won’t hesitate to recommend your firm to anyone who may need legal assistance

- J.M. of Tampa, Florida

I have no words to describe the wonderful experience that had been for me to do business with his legal firm . . . I really appreciate all the great effort that you guys put into my case.

- F.F. of Ocala, Florida

Heartfelt thanks to you for my check and for all your work for the extra check. I am so grateful to you. Appreciate everything very much! Special thoughts and prayers.

- So grateful to you

Thanks for the awesome service. You both did so much work on this and I appreciate it very much. This is a great outcome.

- P.Q. of Palatka, Florida

Mike and his team are awesome, emails are always responded back same day and the chiropractor recommendation was great. I was in a small fender bender but was always treated as if my case was worth a million dollars. I recommend his firm 1,000% you won't be disappointed.

- Chris

Your unwavering commitment to my family, and the love and compassion you have shown by your actions, and not just words, have had a dramatic, unforgettable impact on us all. Your kindness and level headedness in your representation has helped us be able to live a decent and stress-free life from here forward.

- P.M. of Brooksville, Florida

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