Jurisdiction in an Out-of-State Car Accident
Sometimes accidents happen when you’re traveling out of your home state. Car accidents can happen anywhere, but it’s important to know what can happen if you’re injured or in an accident in another state. Your legal options may change depending on the situation of your individual case, or depending on the laws of the state you were in when the accident occurred.
The state in which the accident occurred will typically have jurisdiction over that particular car accident case, meaning that the laws of the state with jurisdiction will typically apply. If you are in a car accident in another state, consulting a legal professional is advisable so you can understand all the facets of liability laws in different states.
There are also “no-fault” states and “fault” states, which mean different things. In a “no-fault” system of insurance, an injured driver in a collision pays for their injuries through their personal injury protection (PIP), even if they are not at fault for the accident. PIP will pay medical bills or lost wages depending on the limits of your particular policy. Florida is one of twelve “no-fault” states in the United States.
The twelve “no-fault” states are Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Utah, and Pennsylvania. This also applies to the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.).
The requirements of individual states’ insurance companies can be difficult to decipher, even more so if your car accident involved other individuals from other states. Your best course of action is to consult a personal injury lawyer to get a consultation not only to understand the facets of each state’s laws and regulations but also to help resolve complicated damages from a case that occurs in a different state.
At Franco Law Firm, we’re committed to helping you understand the law and circumstances of your out-of-state car accident. Our personal injury lawyers are here to help you understand the facets of your claim in an easy-to-understand way. While out-of-state jurisdiction can affect your claim and make the process more stressful if you don’t understand the law, our personal injury lawyers can help you make sense of your claim.
