Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A federal court has agreed to hear an appeal on whether drivers in Palm Beach County and across Florida should be granted class-action status in their claim that HCA hospitals, including JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, are severely overcharging for services under the state’s car insurance system.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta agreed this week to consider an appeal of a lower-court decision in Florida that drivers could pursue lawsuits individually, but not as a group. The plaintiffs allege that the hospitals are draining Personal Injury Protection benefits by charging up to 65 times what Medicare pays.
An HCA statement issues said the case lacks merit and the company intends to defend it vigorously.
Recently, the Florida state legislature has taken steps to reduce the amount of fraud in the insurance system, reduce payment delays and limit use of the court system. The following changes were implemented:
- In the past, injury victims had an unlimited time frame to make an injury claim, but now injury victims only have 14 days to seek medical treatment that may be covered by PIP.
- Under the new law, people with minor injuries might be limited on the amount of financial recovery that they will receive from PIP coverage.
- PIP compensation is limited to 80 percent of your medical costs.
Thanks to advertising and misunderstanding of the role of PIP, Florida PIP Benefits play a larger role in how auto accident injury victims receive medical treatment than should be the case.
Personal injury protection benefits are an important tool in achieving a full and fair recovery following a serious motor vehicle accident, but in reality PIP plays the greatest role in smaller injury cases. It is critical to speak with a personal injury lawyer in Florida right away after an accident as hospitals in many cases grossly overcharge for services rendered. Our Florida Auto Accident Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can monitor your PIP benefits and make sure no health care provider takes advantage of your PIP benefits. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation.