What is an Emergency Medical Condition in a Florida Car Accident Case (and Why is it Important)?

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance is available to victims of car accidents. PIP insurance used to pay up to 80% of all accident-related medical bills up to $10,000. Then the insurance companies and lobbyists got together and were successful in getting that changed. Now PIP insurance gives someone who’s been injured in a car accident up to $2,500 to pay for their medical expenses unless they can prove to the insurance company that they have an emergency medical condition (EMC).

An EMC is essentially a serious injury that needs serious treatment right now. The only medical professionals that can diagnose an EMC are medical doctors, physicians, physician assistants, and some high level nurse practitioners. Most medical professionals are aware of this new law so they are aware that these accident victims need to be diagnosed with an EMC in order to receive the full benefits of the insurance they have been paying for.

The only time a diagnosis of an EMC is an issue is when the first medical professional someone sees is a chiropractor. If the chiropractor doesn’t know to look for an EMC before they begin treatment and the time runs out for the injured party to receive an EMC diagnosis then the injured party will only receive the $2,500 PIP benefit.

If you have any more questions about emergency medical conditions or your personal injury case, please reach out to us. You can call us at 407-565-7386 or text us at 407-644-4444. We are always happy to offer a no obligation, free consultation to discuss your case with you.