The answer to this question generally depends on what type of case we are talking about. In car accident cases, generally there is PIP coverage that will apply to the person that is injured, even if they do not own a car. PIP pays for 80 percent of medical bills to $10,000 pertaining to a car accident, regardless of fault. In slip and fall/trip and fall and other accident cases there usually is not any “no fault” type of insurance that pays for medical bills, although some policies will have a “medical payment” coverage that will pay medical bills of anyone who is injured on the property. Usually, the “medical payment” is for a nominal amount, like $500, $2500 or $5000. Otherwise, the policies to property pay on an indemnification basis, which means they will pay to the extent that there is a judgment that the property owner is at fault and which means that the insurance company will offer money if they believe their insured/the property owner is legally responsible for the injuries. There is something called a “letter of protection” which is an agreement between a doctor and a patient (and usually signed by the lawyer as well) where the doctor agreed to treat the patient and withhold collection remedies in exchange for an agreement that the bills will be paid from the injury settlement. This agreement gives clients the ability to see a doctor in the scenario above and is commonly used in injury cases in Florida.
Of course, every case is different and must be judged based on the facts of each case. Please call for a free consultation. Drucker Law Offices has offices in Boca Raton (principal office), Coral Springs, Miami, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach. The phone numbers are 561-483-9199 in Palm Beach County or 954-755-2120 in Broward County or 305-981-1561 in Miami-Dade County.
Of course, every case is unique and has to be judged based on the specific facts of the case. The advice in this blog is intended to be general in nature and should not to be construed as specific advice for a case, as a slight difference in the facts could ultimately change the result. Also, this blog is, as the web site suggests, based on Florida law and the laws of any other states or another country could vary significantly from Florida.
