Wrongful Death Lawyer Blog

The tragedy that befell U.S. Representative Gabriel Giffords and her family is regretful. Thankfully, she is responding to the intensive rehabilitation program she has been placed on and seems to be recovering. Good for her! She was exercising one of the most sacred freedoms we enjoy in this country and deserves all the care we can give her. Sadly, not every American that suffers a brain injury gets the kind of rehabilitation benefits she is getting. She is among the lucky few that will get the benefit of a full rehabilitation program because as a federal employee injured on the job, the Federal Employee's Compensation Act covers her rehab for as long as needed.

However, according to a USA Today article, insurance companies rarely cover the kind of rehabilitation necessary to recover from brain injuries similar to those recently suffered by Mrs. Giffords.

Scott Hamilton, a motorcycle rider that was involved in a accident a few years ago in San Francisco was another "lucky" case. However, coverage for his full rehabilitation was not automatic...He was covered only after his wife got a VIP family friend to ask another VIP he knew at Scott's insurance company to look into the case. Good for her, their VIP family friend and specially, for Scott.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans that suffer a traumatic brain injury will not be federal employees covered by the Federal Employee's Compensation Act or have a VIP friend that can intercede with a VIP at the insurance company (if they're lucky enough to have medical insurance)...

Unbelievable Numbers

1.7 million Americans suffer traumatic brain injuries each year. These are usually the result of motor vehicle accidents, strokes, assaults, falls, gunshot wounds and sports activities. The total cost of rehabilitation per patient is on average $162,194.00 for initial brain trauma care and $59,862.00 for two weeks of inpatient rehab. This is about as much as is covered by insurance and other medical programs like Medicare and Medicaid, when anything is covered. However, if successful, the medical procedures covered to this point only assure the patient's survival. If we want the patient to have a chance at enjoying any kind of meaningful recovery, the necessary rehabilitation can last for weeks, months or years at a cost between $600.00 and $1,000.00 a day...And that is not covered by most insurance programs.

Continue reading "Insurance Companies Usually Don't Cover Expensive Rehab for Brain Injuries" »

The concept of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is missunderstood by most people. It is maybe the most important insurance coverage you should carry to protect yourself and your loved ones.

To register a car, Florida drivers are only required to purchase $10,000.00 in property damage coverage and no-fault coverage. The property damage coverage pays up to $10,000.00 for the property damaged (car, tree, fence, etc.) in an accident caused by you or the driver of your car. The P.I.P. Benefit (Personal Injury Protection Benefit), also known as no-fault benefit, pays 80% of medical bills and 60% of any wages lost by you or a family member, up to $10,000.00 minus any applicable deductible.

No bodily injury (B.I.) coverage is required in Florida. This means that if someone else injures you in an accident they cause, they do not have to carry insurance to pay for your injuries. This is very important because the only way you can protect yourself and your loved ones, is to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM).

UM/UIM Coverage Explained

When you purchase uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage you have your own insurance company stand in place or in addition to the coverage carried by the person who caused the accident. Florida law establishes that your own car insurance company must offer you UM/UIM coverage up to the limits of the BI (Bodily Injury) coverage that you choose. This means that if you purchase bodily injury coverage for your car of 25/50 ($25,000 per person/$50,000.00 per occurrence) you are automatically allowed to purchase up to $25,000/$50,0000 in UM/UIM benefits. Also, if you have more than one car, you can purchase "stackable coverage" in which case you would have $25,000 in coverage for each car in your household. It is an inexpensive way to protect your family.

Continue reading "Why Carry Uninsured//Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM)?" »