If the accident was caused by the other driver, the attorney should advise his client about the fact that many of the medical bills and much of the lost income experienced by the client, will be paid by the client’s own insurance company under Florida’s No-Fault insurance law.  Under this law, it does not matter who was at fault, your own insurance pays much and maybe all of the medical bills and much of the loss of income from an automobile accident.

If the client has been injured, the attorney must look into the question of whether or not the injuries are of a permanent nature.  If the client is not injured or the injuries are expected to heal, there may be no claim for the injuries.  In Florida, generally speaking, there must be a permanent injury for there to be a claim for the pain, anguish, mental distress, suffering, affect on activities, limitation on enjoyment of life, and other elements of damages.

If there is a permanent injury, the client, through his attorney, will first look to determine if there is any liability insurance coverage in effect on behalf of the person responsible for the accident.  If there is no such coverage, then the injured person can try to be compensated under what is called uninsured motorist coverage, which is insurance coverage which, hopefully, the client has in his policy.  This coverage acts as if it were insurance in effect on behalf of the party responsible for the accident.

In representing the client, the lawyer’s goal is, as in other cases, is to try to make the client whole.  He tries to do this by getting the medical bills paid, getting the lost income paid, and also getting compensation if the client is injured, for non-economic damages such as past and future pain, suffering, mental anguish, loss of the enjoyment of life, and other damages.