Are pedestrians covered by PIP in Daytona Beach?
Daytona Beach, FL – Alfred Fleming, a 77 years old Daytona Beach resident, was killed on March 3 in a hit-and-run accident. Four months after the accident, the local police are dry on leads and have been unable to identify the driver. Mr. Flemming was trying to cross Mason Avenue near the intersection with Derbyshire Road when he was struck by a car. As it was late in the evening, the police only managed to retrieve one grainy video showing a car speeding away. The police officer that tended to Mr. Fleming could only say it was a sedan in a dark color.
This type of accident is quite common in Florida, where one in four crashes is a hit-and-run.
Victims are often left with huge medical expenses and little chance of recovering damages. In such a situation, the victims or their families should talk to an experienced Daytona Beach personal injury lawyer. With so many similar cases in their hands, the local police are unlikely to devote much effort to find the driver that hit you, but an attorney may be able to help you.
Can a pedestrian use PIP coverage?
According to the law, pedestrians and bicyclists are covered under Florida’s Personal Injury Protection law if they are injured or killed by a motorist.
If you have PIP, you can use it to collect damages if you were injured while walking down the street or riding your bike. The same applies if any member of your household has a valid PIP policy.
If you don’t have PIP, you can get damages under the other driver’s policy, which is unfortunately not possible if they flee the scene of the crash.
Under Florida’s no-fault policy, all motorists in the state are required to have PIP insurance. The minimum coverage required is $10,000 and this could be a big problem. When you sustain severe injuries, $10,000 is nothing, it barely covers some tests and it certainly won’t pay for your surgery, rehabilitation treatment, at-home care, etc. If someone is killed in a crash what’s the family going to do with that kind of money?
Tips on finding the driver that hit you
Your best shot is to get a good accident lawyer to help you find the driver. It won’t be easy, but it’s the only way to get the damages you deserve. Here’s how you can do that:
- Write down everything you remember about the accident, as soon as possible. Every minor detail you remember can turn out to be a vital clue.
- Talk to witnesses or, better yet, record what they remember about the make and model of the car. A partial license plate would be great.
- Check the scene of the crash carefully to see whether some part of the other car fell off after the impact.
- Have your Daytona Beach car accident lawyers check the area for surveillance cameras as soon as possible. Even if none of them captured the accident, your attorneys can make a list of the cars that were in the area at the time of the crash.
- Launch a social media campaign asking the people in your community to come forward if they have any useful information.
If you were recently injured in a car accident in the Daytona Beach area, schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer at Pappas & Russell PA, and let them help you with your claim.
Contact info
213 Silver Beach Avenue
Daytona Beach, Florida 32118
Phone: (386) 254-2941
Source: FLHSMV Hit-and-run Awareness
