Property damage claims are very common after car accidents in Tampa. The monetary settlements or payments you receive to compensate you for your losses after an accident are called damages. Economic damages are used to compensate you specifically for your financial losses, and property damage is one common example of these types of losses.
Property damage can occur to real or personal property. Keep reading below to learn everything you need to know about property damage after an accident in Tampa, FL.
What Types of Losses Are Usually Included in a Property Damage Claim?
After a car accident, you may experience many types of financial losses related to your vehicle or other property. All of these losses may be included in your claim.
This means that you may be able to receive compensation for:
- Towing and storage fees
- The cost of vehicle repairs
- Losses to personal property inside the vehicle
- Damage to aftermarket parts or accessories
- Replacement cost of your vehicle (if your car is totaled)
Florida is a no-fault state for accident-related injuries, but it follows a fault-based rule for property damage. This means that the driver who caused the accident is legally responsible for all the resulting property damage.
For this reason, drivers in Florida are required to carry a minimum of $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) insurance coverage. Most of the time, you would file a claim with the other driver’s insurance to pay for your property damage. However, there may be times when you need to file a claim under your own insurance policy to cover the damage.
First-Party Property Damage Claims
First-party property damage claims occur when you file a claim with your own insurance coverage. You can typically only file a first-party claim when you have what is often referred to as “full coverage” or collision coverage. First-party claims usually happen when you were responsible for the accident.
Depending on the specifics of your policy, you may be able to file a first-party claim for:
- Rental car reimbursement: Your policy may cover the cost of a rental vehicle while your car is being repaired.
- Towing: If you are unable to drive your car after the accident, your insurance might pay the towing charges to get your vehicle to a repair shop.
- Collision: If you cause an accident, your insurance may pay for the repairs to your car. Florida does not require you to carry collision coverage, but most lenders require you to carry collision coverage if you have a car loan.
- Gap coverage: In the event your car is totaled, gap coverage will pay the difference between the market value of your vehicle and the amount you owe on the loan.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage: Your own insurance will pay for property damage caused by someone without insurance or without enough insurance to cover all the damages.
Most policies also include coverage for personal items or belongings inside the vehicle that may have been damaged or destroyed in the accident. You should always check the specific coverage details of your policy to learn exactly what will be covered.
In some situations, you might file a first-party claim even though another driver was at fault for your accident. When this happens, your insurance company will likely pursue compensation from the at-fault driver in order to get reimbursed for the money they had to pay you.
Third-Party Claims After Tampa Car Accidents
A third-party claim occurs when you file a property damage claim with another driver’s insurance company. If the other driver caused the accident, you would file a third-party claim to avoid paying your own insurance deductible. After your claim has been filed, the insurance company will assign an adjuster to your claim.
The insurance adjuster will review the property damage and attempt to put a value on your case. Remember that you have a right to choose your own repair shop, and it is often a good idea to get multiple quotes for the repairs. If your vehicle is totaled, then the insurance company must pay you the fair market value of your vehicle.
The market value of your vehicle depends on many factors, such as:
- Your location
- The year, make, and model of your car
- Your car’s condition prior to the accident
- Mileage
- Any aftermarket equipment or accessories
- Current market or recent sale prices for similar vehicles
It is always wise to research your car’s value yourself. You can use public resources such as the National Automobile Dealers Association and Kelley Blue Book to find information about current vehicles on the market. Performing this research might take a little time up front, but it could net you a lot more money during the claims process.
Contact the Tampa Car Accident Lawyers at Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If your claim involves only property damage, you might not need a lawyer to help. However, if you were injured in an accident, you may be entitled to recover both economic damages and non-economic damages. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side to help with your injury claim can ensure that you are getting all the compensation you are owed.
Contact the team at Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers today at (813) 222-8545 to schedule a free consultation with our Tampa car accident lawyers. We can help identify all the damages that may be available in your case so you don’t leave money on the table.
