Injured as a passenger on a Bus?
Wondering how are you going to get your medical bills paid?
Injured on a bus in the state of Florida? Left with medical bills and missed time from work? Your options for how you pay for your medical treatment and missed time from work will depend on your unique circumstances.
The State of Florida is a no-fault state. As a result, every person or company that owns a motor vehicle must purchase minimum insurance to include PIP/No-Fault Coverage and Property Damage coverage. Normally, no matter who is at fault for the accident, PIP/No-Fault coverage would pay for the first part of your medical treatment up to $10,000.00 in coverage. However, this coverage does not always apply when you are a passenger on a bus. If the bus is a private bus (think party bus) they are required by Florida law to carry PIP/No-Fault coverage since they meet the definition of a “motor vehicle” under Florida law. However, if the bus is owned by the government or a municipality (think PSTA), then Florida does not require PIP/No-Fault Coverage.
So what is next? The next thing to determine is who caused the accident. If you were injured on a bus as a result of the negligence of the driver (ie they caused an automobile accident, closed the door on a patron when exiting, etc.) then as long as you could prove negligence on the part of the driver, there should be liability coverage to compensate you for your injuries. However, it could be that the bus driver was not at fault and another driver caused the automobile accident. In that case, the driver that caused the accident would have to carry bodily injury coverage. Bodily Injury coverage is not a required coverage in the state of Florida. Also, there could be multiple claimants trying to make a claim against the same bodily injury coverage.
As always, the value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries and type of medical treatment you receive. If you were injured on a bus it is possible your injuries could be more severe than those sustained in a car v. car accident since there are often no seatbelts available. Fortunately, buses often have cameras that can help document the moment of impact and how much someone is tossed around during an accident.
If you have been injured, give Nightingale Law Firm a call at 727-210-8800 and we will be happy to discuss the available insurance coverage under for your unique circumstances and options on how to get your medical bills paid and your missed time from work reimbursed.
For more information, visit our website at www.ClearwaterPersonalInjuryAttorney.net