Florida No-Fault Likely to Expire

Florida’s No-Fault law will expire October 1st and it appears unlikely that Florida’s Legislature will reach an agreement on preventing this. As a result, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, is urging motorists in Florida to be sure they have enough insurance to protect themselves and their families if they are injured in an automobile collision.

Under the present No-Fault law, the mandatory $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection coverage will cover treatment for accident-related injuries, regardless of who was at fault for the collision. Once the No-Fault law expires, the obligation for payment of accident-related treatment will become the responsibility of the at-fault driver. However, even in a ‘best-case’ scenario, it may take some time before the insurance carrier of the responsible driver agrees to accept responsibility. In a case of disputed liability, it could take months or more for an insurance company to investigate a collision and thereafter assume responsibility for the medical bills. Finally, since Florida does not require a motorist to carry liability coverage, many do not, and it is unlikely that such a motorist will pay the injured person’s medical expenses.

A three-week special session of the Florida Legislature has been scheduled for September 18th but it is doubtful the No-Fault issue will be addressed. In the meantime, motorists can obtain more information by accessing on-line a special site set up at www.MyFloridacfo.com and clicking on “Life Without No-Fault”.