• Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyers Thankful For PIP Coverage

    Sunday, December 27th, 2009

    Florida last pasted a significant comprehensive auto personal injury protection fraud bill back in the mid 1970s.  According to a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer, the latest bill was passed in early 2001.

    Under Florida’s no-fault law, all drivers are required to carry $10,000 and PIP – personal injury protection – coverage with a maximum deductible of $2,000.  This PIP coverage is designed to protect the driver in the event of an accident with an uninsured motorist and help in preventing the state from paying for drivers with no other forms of insurance. Florida is one of only a handful of states that require their statesmen to carry such insurance.

    Auto PIP fraud has become a growing concern in the state as well-organized rings have formed to maximize potential collections from carriers.  Recently, a Florida special grand jury found a number of legal and medical professionals which had developed a variety of methods to improperly recovered $10,000 in coverage.  These techniques ranged from staging accidents to the use of professional solicitors or so-called runners to recruit often unwitting victims.  This is not to say that Florida is the only state that these unscrupulous practices take place in, because it happens all across the country.

    Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers stated that lawmakers passed two bills designed to stop abuse associated with this kind of fraudulent activity. The principal bill requires that claimants server carriers with pre-suit notices except when a claim has been formally denied or reduced.  This bill also cracks down on crooked medical activity by requiring medical clinics not owned by physicians to register with the state; plus the bill implements a fee schedule for certain medical procedures such as CAT scans or MRIs.

    The second bill restricts the available personal information in police officer accident reports to victims, law enforcement and then media for 60 days only. Plus, another “hot button” topic for Florida lawmakers is property-casualty issues in which Florida has not engaged in serious discussions regarding workers comp reform since the massive rewrites of a law passed in 1993.