FLORIDA LAW

Florida's 14-day rule, in plain English

After a car accident in Florida, you have 14 days to get your first medical visit. Not 14 days to finish treatment, and not 14 business days — 14 days from the crash. Miss it and your insurer can deny the medical benefits you already pay for.

Why the deadline exists

Florida is a no-fault state. Your own auto policy carries Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, which pays regardless of who caused the crash. The tradeoff the legislature wrote into the law is a deadline: benefits are available only if you receive initial services and care within 14 days of the accident.

The clock starts the day of the crash. It does not pause for a weekend, a holiday, or the week you spent waiting to see whether the stiffness would work itself out.

"I feel fine" is the most expensive sentence after a crash

Whiplash, neck and back injuries, and concussion symptoms routinely surface 24 to 72 hours after impact, sometimes later. Adrenaline masks a great deal on the day itself. By the time the pain is bad enough to make you call someone, a meaningful share of your 14 days is gone.

Getting examined early does two separate things: it finds what is actually wrong while it is still easy to treat, and it protects the benefits you would otherwise forfeit.

Who can see you for that first visit

Florida law is specific. Your initial visit can be with a medical or osteopathic physician, a dentist, a chiropractic physician, or an advanced practice registered nurse. It also counts if the care was given in a hospital or a hospital-owned facility, or by a licensed ambulance service at the scene.

One thing that does not count toward your benefits at all: massage therapy and acupuncture are excluded from PIP coverage by statute, no matter who performs them.

What PIP actually pays

• Up to $10,000 in combined medical and disability benefits, if a qualified provider determines you had an emergency medical condition.
• Capped at $2,500 if no emergency medical condition is determined.
• PIP pays 80% of reasonable, medically necessary expenses within that limit.
• It pays no matter who was at fault — including if the fault was yours.

The gap between $2,500 and $10,000 comes down to one evaluation, and not every provider is permitted to perform it. Here's how the EMC determination works.

You don't need a lawyer to start care

We see patients with attorneys and without them. Nothing about getting examined commits you to a legal case, and you do not need to sort out representation before you protect your health or your deadline. If you do want a referral later, we can help with that.

Still inside your 14 days? Call now — we bill your PIP directly and can often see you the same day.