Alejandro Figueroa | June 1, 2022 | Car Accidents
Car accidents can cause devastating injuries. Accident victims might sustain broken bones, neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and back injuries. You could require surgery to repair the damage, depending on the severity of the injury.
As part of your treatment plan, your physician may prescribe physical therapy. Physical therapy helps a patient regain mobility by improving strength and flexibility.
However, car accident therapy can be costly. So, who pays for physical therapy after a car accident in Tampa?
Does My Insurance Cover Physical Therapy After a Car Accident?
Physical therapy is a standard treatment for many injuries. However, paying for the treatment can be challenging, especially if you are out of work because of your car accident.
Before you assume that you have to pay for the physical therapy out of pocket, you should consider all payment sources available to you. For example, you could have several insurance policies that might pay for your physical therapy bills after a car wreck.
No-Fault Insurance Coverage
No-fault insurance is mandatory for all motor vehicle owners in Florida. Car owners must purchase $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage. No-fault insurance pays benefits to the insured party, regardless of who caused the motor vehicle accident.
Your PIP insurance policy would cover you if you were injured in a car crash. It would cover you if you were the driver or a passenger in a car. It also would cover you if a vehicle struck you while you were walking or bicycling.
PIP insurance pays up to 80% of your medical bills after a car accident, including physical therapy bills. However, you must seek treatment within 14 days of the accident. Also, the insurance company may only be liable for up to $2,500 in medical bills if you did not sustain an “emergency” medical condition.
Furthermore, you must seek treatment from a medical provider with a valid license. Licensing and registration for physical therapists are handled by the Florida Board of Physical Therapy.
Health Insurance Coverage
Your health insurance company might pay your physical therapy bills when you exhaust your PIP benefits. However, payments would be subject to your health insurance policy terms. Therefore, you would need to pay the deductible and co-pays for therapy.
Also, if you receive a personal injury settlement for the car accident, your health insurance company may exercise its subrogation rights. Most health insurance policies contain a subrogation clause. The clause gives the insurance company the right to receive reimbursement for any bills it paid related to the accident from your settlement proceeds.
Liability Insurance Policy
You might receive reimbursement for physical therapy bills and other damages from the other driver’s liability insurance company. However, for the other driver’s insurance company to be liable for damages, you have the burden of proving:
- You sustained serious injuries that give you the right to sue the other driver under Florida’s no-fault insurance laws;
- The other driver caused the car accident;
- The car accident was the direct and proximate cause of your injuries; AND;
- You required physical therapy as part of your treatment.
If you can prove fault, causation, and damages, you should be able to recover compensation for your economic damages, including medical bills. You can also receive compensation for your pain and suffering and other non-economic damages.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance
If the at-fault driver did not have insurance coverage, you might receive reimbursement for physical therapy bills and other damages from your insurance company. However, you must have purchased uninsured motorist insurance coverage as part of your insurance policy.
Uninsured motorist coverage compensates you for damages caused by an uninsured driver. However, you must prove that the uninsured driver caused the car accident and that the accident caused your injuries.
Your insurance company may fight your claim. For example, it could argue that the accident did not cause your injuries or that your injuries are not as severe as you claim. In addition, the insurance company might allege that you contributed to the cause of the accident, so you are not entitled to full compensation for damages under Florida’s contributory fault laws.
What Should I Do if I Need Physical Therapy After a Car Accident?
It is crucial that you seek prompt medical care after a car crash. Delays in medical care could result in allegations of failure to mitigate damages. The insurance company might allege that you would have sought immediate treatment if you were injured in the accident.
As soon as you can, talk to a car accident lawyer about your case. Florida insurance laws and personal injury claims can be confusing. An attorney assesses your case, explains your rights, and advises you of your options for seeking compensation for damages.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Tampa, FL
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Tampa, FL, and need legal help, contact our Tampa car accident lawyers at Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
Catania & Catania Injury Lawyers
Bank of America Plaza
101 E Kennedy Blvd #2400
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 222-8656
We also provide legal assistance throughout the Tampa Bay Area including Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Bradenton.
