If you have been injured in an accident, then it is important for you to understand the differences between bodily injury and personal injury. Personal injury refers to an injury that happened in an accident (physical, mental, or emotional damage), while bodily injury refers to a serious physical injury to someone’s body.
Bodily injury is usually referenced in criminal court cases, which include injuries that are sustained by someone who was assaulted or injured in another crime. Personal injury is usually referenced in civil court claims, and it covers the costs that have been suffered as a result of an accident or wrongful death. The circumstances and facts surrounding an individual case will have different implications for the terms bodily injury and personal injury, and it is important that you have a personal injury lawyer to explain the legal differences to you.
At The Law Place, we have over seventy-five years of combined experience and knowledge in handling bodily injury and personal injury claims for clients all over the State of Florida. Our law firm has a working knowledge of personal injury law, and we will guide you through the legal system with efficiency.
Our team of personal injury lawyers is skilled at managing complex cases that involve bodily injury and personal injury. If you have questions in regard to an accident, then you should get in touch with us now. Our phone lines are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact The Law Place on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation today.
Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
There also might be some confusion around the differences between Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Bodily Injury Liability (BIL).
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage includes the payment for medical bills, rehabilitation, loss of income, funeral and burial expenses.
- Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance coverage includes the payment for physical injuries that happen as a result of an accident caused by you.
If you or someone you love were involved in a car accident, a slip and fall accident, or another type of accident that has left you with injuries, then it is worth taking the time to understand the differences between bodily injury and personal injury. Once you understand the two factors, you will know how to pursue financial compensation after an accident.
Calculating Bodily and Personal Injuries in an Insurance Claim
The bodily injury that you suffer after a car accident will start to generate medical expenses straight after the impact. Your medical bills will start to accumulate from the moment that an ambulance arrives at the scene of the accident, and they will continue to grow for months, depending on the severity of your injury.
A serious injury can lead to long-term medical expenses, including rehabilitation and physical therapy until you have fully recovered. A skilled lawyer from The Law Place will help you to pursue compensation for all of the damages that you sustained, and they will assign a feasible value on your claim that will ensure the full range of medical care that you need is covered by the at-fault driver in the State of Florida.
Assessing Personal Injuries in an Insurance Claim
It is usually a complicated process to calculate your personal injuries after an accident. There are relatively simple personal injury expenses that are easy to calculate, such as the income that you will lose while you are staying at the hospital or healing from your injury at home. However, there are intangible personal injuries that are much more difficult to assign a value, such as experiences of pain and suffering in the aftermath of an accident.
It is also important to calculate the value of future income that you have not earned, along with the physical, mental, and emotional pain that is not visible, like bruises and broken bones. That is why a skilled lawyer from The Law Place will be able to help you to place value on the tangible and intangible losses that you have suffered. Call our office to set up a free consultation now, and we will be happy to assist you.
Bodily Injury Insurance Covers the Other Party’s Expenses
Bodily injury refers to damage to the body after an accident, such as cuts, burns, bruises, fractured bones, and nerve damage. When a person has bodily injury insurance, it will cover the costs of the other person who was involved in the accident.
For example, you run a red light and hit a cyclist. In this case, you will be held at fault for their injuries. The bodily injury insurance that you hold might include some or all of their losses, depending on your policy.
Legal Implications of Bodily Injury Coverage
The state that you live in and whether it is a no-fault state or not will determine the extent of the insurance that you need to carry in case of an accident.
The State of Florida does not require drivers to carry insurance coverage for Bodily Injury Liability (BIL), except for motor vehicles that are registered as taxis. However, all drivers are required to have insurance policies with a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance due to the fact that the State of Florida is a no-fault state.
You will have to file for compensation through your own insurance company after an accident, regardless of who caused the accident. However, you might have suffered losses that are beyond the limits of your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance. In this case, you might be able to pursue additional compensation by filing a claim against the other party’s insurance company.
In simple terms, Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) Insurance will cover the damages of the other party in the event that you caused the accident. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance will cover your own injuries and losses after an accident.
Read into Florida Statute 627.7407 for more information on no-fault laws.
Personal Injury Is Related to Civil Claim Damages
All states allow a person to pursue compensation after an accident from the liable party to cover the costs of their losses. However, you must be able to prove that you have suffered injuries and other expenses in the accident.
It is essential that you have evidence that supports your version of events. It is worth taking the time to secure evidence at the location of the accident, such as:
- Take photographs and videos of the accident, property damage, injuries, and other relevant information.
- The police report or other type of document from law enforcement.
- Medical records from an injury-related examination.
- Proof of lost wages for work that you missed after the accident.
- Paperwork of all communication between you and the insurance companies involved.
- Receipts that assign a value on the property damage.
What Is Included in a Bodily Injury Claim?
A bodily injury claim will include expenses from injuries that you submit to your bodily injury insurance carrier. It might include the costs related to your own injuries or the costs related to the injuries of another party involved in the accident, depending on the state’s laws. The claims might also be covered by your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance or other insurance coverage.
What Qualifies As a Personal Injury Case?
There are demonstrable damages when one party is injured as a result of another party’s negligence, which means that you might have a valid personal injury claim. Every person has a duty to prevent causing harm to other people. A personal injury claim starts when the duty has not been met, and someone has suffered harm.
Statute of Limitations After an Accident
You do not have an unlimited amount of time to pursue compensation after an accident. If you live in the State of Florida, then you have four years from the date of the accident to hire a Sarasota personal injury attorneys, develop a personal injury claim and file the claim.
If the accident resulted in wrongful death, then you will only have two years from the date of a loved one’s death to file a wrongful death claim in the State of Florida. A wrongful death claim is a complex case, and it is necessary that you hire a wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible.
If you miss the deadline to file a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim, then you will not be able to pursue compensation, and your case will get thrown out by the court. If you want to understand better, then you can also speak to your lawyer about the laws in your state.
Read into Florida Statute 95.11 for more information on the statute of limitations.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim Can Cover Some of Your Losses
If you were injured in an accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you should consider filing a personal injury claim. Some of the main losses that you can cover by filing a personal injury claim include:
- Medical bills – Past, present, and future medical bills, which include surgery, hospitalization, visits to the doctor, rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescription medication, and more, can be claimed.
- Lost wages – A loss of wages, a reduced earning capacity, and future lost earnings can be claimed.
- Property damage – Costs to repair or replace a motor vehicle can be claimed.
- Pain and suffering – Experiences of physical pain, mental anguish, emotional trauma, and a loss of enjoyment of life can be claimed.
- Wrongful death – A loved one who was killed in an accident means that you can file a wrongful death claim to recover funeral expenses, medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and more. Florida Statute 768.21 has more information on filing a wrongful death claim.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you are wondering about the difference between bodily injury and personal injury, then you should speak to a lawyer now. A skilled lawyer will be able to explain the laws surrounding your case and help you to understand the best move to make in your current situation.
At The Law Place, we have over seventy-five years of collective experience when it comes to managing accident cases for clients who live throughout the State of Florida. Our law firm has the necessary skills and resources to pursue the compensation that you deserve following an accident, regardless of the number of losses that you have suffered.
A personal injury lawyer from our law firm will talk you through the legal process and develop a strong case. We will work hard to win the maximum amount of compensation that will cover all of your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and more.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office now. Our phone lines are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact The Law Place on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation today.
