What If I Am Injured By an Out of State Driver?
If you have suffered injuries in an accident by an out-of-state driver, you must be ready to face certain challenges that are unique to crashes involving out-of-state motorists. Nevertheless, such accidents can still involve minor to potentially fatal injuries or death, and it’s within your legal right to bring a claim against the at-fault driver to pursue financial compensation for the damages you incurred.
How Does Florida Laws Apply to Accidents Involving Out-of-State Drivers
The at-fault driver may not live in Florida, but this doesn’t mean that they are immune from state laws because ignorance of the law can never justify violating it. In fact, any driver that drives in another state other than their own creates an unspoken agreement to obey that state’s laws. This is why an out-of-state driver can be held responsible for an accident based on the negligence rules as native Florida motorists.
This also means that if you can prove that the out-of-state driver’s negligent or careless actions caused the accident that left you injured, you can and must hold them liable for all your accident-related damages. In addition, since most insurers are either international or national companies, their insurance coverage typically varies from one state to another.
The out-of-state driver’s auto insurance will still cover them while driving in other states. Likewise, depending on where the out-of-state driver lives, you may be able to recover a higher compensation amount due to more extensive policies and higher limits of minimum insurance coverage requirements for liability insurance.
Even if the out-of-state driver has proper auto insurance coverage to cover the accident and your injuries, it does not automatically mean that their insurance provider will pay what you are entitled to.
Issues You May Face in an Accident Caused by an Out-of-State Driver
If an out-of-state driver injured you in an accident, you must be aware of the potential issues:
- Not all out-of-state drivers may be insured or have sufficient insurance coverage for injuries to other people.
- The driver may be hard to find or communicate with when they leave the state and go back home.
- If you are filing a lawsuit against the driver, you may face challenges serving them the legal paperwork required for the case.
The good news is that you can handle all these potential issues. Our Tampa car accident attorneys have ample experience with these jurisdictional issues and know what needs to be done to hold out-of-state drivers liable for their actions.
Talk to a Skilled Tampa Car Accident Attorney Today
While accidents in Florida involving out-of-state drivers can be challenging to navigate, with legal guidance from Matthews Injury Law, you can be sure that you’re taken care of. Leave all the legal aspects of your case to our skilled Tampa car accident attorney so you can focus on healing and getting your life back on track. Reach us online or call 813-530-1000 to arrange a free case evaluation with our Tampa car accident attorney.