As most of us know, vehicle traffic dropped once the State and most counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe ordered business to close or reduce capacity in hopes of slowing the spread of Covid-19. According to the Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, the significant decrease in roadway traffic is either attributed to those closures or a general overall fear many Floridians have related to the virus.

Researchers noted a variance between vehicle traffic on roads in and around cities as compared to roads considered to be rural. The study determined that around one million vehicles traveling each day along rural roadways showed a drop commencing in mid-March. Then comparing the number of that traffic to that along so-called city or urban roadways, the researches noticed approximately 5 million vehicles daily in the beginning of March, surging to a height of 7 million as the month progressed and dropping down to 3 million daily vehicles by the end of the month.

Researchers believe that the variance in daily car and truck traffic was due to the varying restrictions each county placed upon its citizens as the pandemic rolled across the State of Florida. Although the researchers were not certain as to the specific reason for the variance between city and rural traffic reductions, realizing that further study will be needed.

Given the spike in Covid cases and rising number of deaths and hospitalizations across Florida, particularly in Miami, many businesses are faced with the very real and concerning need to close again, which will certainly contribute to a drop in vehicle traffic and related car accidents. Of course, in the context of the economic devastation the pandemic is causing a drop in vehicle traffic is immaterial. However, any drop in car accidents and injuries is a welcome confluence of circumstances.

We hope that car insurance companies will continue to evaluate the premiums they charge and offer greater refunds and reductions to Floridians who are clearly not driving the number of miles they use to drive; meaning the insurance companies are profiting well above the amount they should, solely on the backs of Floridians. If the insurance companies are not proactive in helping their customers, it rests upon Florida’s Department of Financial Services to protect drivers from overpriced insurance. Now is the time the state should finally think of the interests of drivers over the profits of insurance companies.

According to the state’s insurance commissioner, the insurance companies are steadily raising their rates because the number of drivers on the road is steadily increasing. The increase in drivers is certainly due to lower gas prices and less unemployment. Regulators blame the steady rise in personal injury protection, or PIP, claims as a major cause of the premium increases. PIP, generally referred to as no fault insurance, requires all drivers to have $10,000 of PIP to pay for their own medical bills and lost wages in the event they are involved in an accident. Each person is required to use their own insurance, not that of the at fault party, to pay the first $10,000.00 of their medical bills/lost wages. The portion of car insurance attributed to PIP is responsible for approximately 25% of all car insurance premiums.

Florida remains one of the only states with such a no-fault/PIP system. Most other states have mandatory liability insurance which makes the at fault party responsible for the damages they cause. But because such a change would require mandatory liability insurance, most insurance companies are opposed to changing the law. Also, most hospitals, which seemingly overbill accident victims, are also opposed to abolishing PIP, which they look upon as a cash cow given its higher reimbursement rates, when compared to Medicare and health insurance.

Considering car accidents increased by almost ten percent over the past year, there can be no doubt that insurance companies rate raising is not finished. Surprisingly, Miami only rose by just over 5 percent, compared with Broward’s nearly thirteen percent increase.

A recent study by the Insurance Research Institute confirms Miami car accident lawyer Joseph Lipsky’s advice, as the study found that approximately 14% of drivers are not insured. In addition to being unable to pay for the damages they cause to others, those uninsured motorist cause drivers who actually have insurance, to pay significantly higher premiums.

While some states are trying to enforce mandatory insurance requirements, by means such as authorizing police officers to remove license plates from accident involved cars which are uninsured, many drivers still disregard their state’s laws. Other states are now penalizing uninsured drivers by prohibiting them from brining a claim for their own pain and suffering, even if they are injured due to someone else’s fault. As a personal injury attorney with over 20 years of experience, Joseph Lipsky does not believe a state has a right to restrict an innocent accident victim from pursuing compensation if they are hurt by someone else’s negligence, regardless of whether they themselves have insurance.

While studies indicate that such aggressive enforcement of insurance requirements may result in more drivers complying with their states’ laws, we issue the same advice; protect yourself by buying uninsured motorist coverage. While you may pay more money now, if you are ever the victim of an accident, you will know you have a source of recovery to pursue for your damages.

In Florida, the legislature recognizes how valuable uninsured motorist coverage is, which is why insurance companies are required to have drivers sign a form specifically rejecting uninsured motorist coverage if they decide not to buy it. Remember, while signing the form and rejecting uninsured motorist coverage may save you some money in the short term, it leaves you susceptible to being on the hook for all of your damages if you are hurt in an accident.

First, you need to be evaluated by a doctor, or at a hospital/urgent care center, within 14 days of your car accident. If you delay seeking initial medical care by more than 14 days, hoping that your pain subsides, your car insurance company will NOT pay any future accident related medical bills.

Secondly, you must complain about all of your injuries, no matter how minor you think they are, at your first evaluation. If you fail to mention some injury at your initial visit, and then bring it up to your doctor later, that “new” complaint will not be covered by your car insurance company.

Thirdly, unless a medical doctor, osteopathic doctor, or LPN makes a diagnosis of your suffering an Emergency Medical Condition, your car insurance company will only be responsible for the first $2,500.00 of your medical bills. With an appropriate diagnosis of an Emergency Medical Condition, you are still entitled to $10,000.00 of medical coverage. However, understand that a chiropractor is not permitted to render the Emergency Medical Condition diagnosis. Therefore, if you are only examined by a chiropractor, your car insurance company will only be responsible for $2,500.00 of your accident related medical treatment.

The law defines an Emergency Medical Condition as one which shows itself through immediately sever symptoms, including pain, that in the absence of immediate medical attention you would be expected to suffer from your health being in serious jeopardy, a serious impairment of your bodily function, or a serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or body part.

Finally, the new law allows your car insurance company to not pay for any massage therapy or acupuncture care.

Because of the stringent limitations placed on Florida car accident victims, personal injury attorney Joseph Lipsky strongly recommends everyone injured in a car accident consult with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after their crash. Making sure you understand your rights and how to best protect them is more important than ever.

The study, not surprisingly, found that the financial hardship of the current economy is the primary reason why many drivers have not renewed their car insurance. The study confirmed a correlation between unemployment and the number of drivers with no insurance.

Drivers who comply with their state’s law, by having insurance, cover the losses caused by uninsured driver, to the annual tune of almost 11 billion dollars. However, as attorneys representing accident victims for more than 20 years, we have seen too many clients who are unable to recover for their medical bills, lost wages and permanent injuries because they did not have uninsured motorist coverage.

Contrary to the statements of many insurance agents, who tell their customers that they do not need uninsured motorist coverage if they have health and disability insurance, our experience shows that having uninsured motorist coverage is the only way to guarantee a source of recovery should you be the victim of an accident.

This bill, along with many others working their way through the Florida Legislature, place insurance companies’ rights and profits ahead of the interests of homeowners. Even some Republican Senators agree that this bill will allow insurance companies to make a financial killing at the expense of homeowners.

Too often, homeowners fail to notify their state representatives and senators of their displeasure with pending legislation; that is, until after a bill, such as this one, becomes law. We urge all homeowners, especially those who are also registered voters, to immediately contact their representative and senator and let them know that their jobs as legislators are in jeopardy, should they continue to pass laws which place insurance company profits above the rights of the individuals who voted them into office.