When you think of post-traumatic stress disorder, your mind probably flashes to images of soldiers returning home from war. But, did you know that car accidents are actually a leading cause of PTSD in the U.S.?

What Is PTSD and What Causes It?

PTSD is a psychological disorder that develops after a person witnesses or experiences a traumatic event, such as a serious car crash, assault, abuse, wartime/conflict, or a natural disaster. Essentially, the disorder heightens one’s fight-or-flight response and makes them feel anxious, stressed, or frightened in even safe situations. Other symptoms may include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hypervigilance
• Panic attacks
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Intrusive thoughts

According to a study done by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 40% of car accident survivors develop symptoms of PTSD. While it’s not fully understood why some people develop this disorder and not others, several factors play a role in who exactly is at risk, including:

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When you’re injured in an accident, such as a car crash or slip and fall, you may assume that the person who caused the accident would be the one on the hook for paying your medical expenses, lost wages, and other related damages.

However, that’s not necessarily the case in the Sunshine State. Unlike many other states, which follow a fault-based insurance rule that we described above, Florida is considered a no-fault insurance state. This term is a common source of confusion for many car accident victims, so we discuss more about what no-fault insurance means below.

What Is No-Fault Insurance?

No-fault insurance, also referred to as a personal injury protection (PIP) policy, is a type of auto insurance coverage that is designed to compensate the insured individual should they be injured in a car accident, regardless of who was at fault. In Florida, PIP policies generally cover the following:

• Medical Costs. PIP policies will cover 80% of medical costs associated with emergency medical conditions up to the policy limits, given that the treatment is being done by a licensed physician, dentist, hospital, or facility owned by the hospital.

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Between 2003 and 2015, U.S. military service members were issued Combat Arms earplugs. Originally designed by Aearo Technologies, which was bought by Minnesota-based company 3M in 2008, the Combat Arms earplugs were designed to protect service members from both lower- and high-level noises known to cause hearing damage. These earplugs were standard issue and were provided to hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of active-duty service members.

Unfortunately, the Combat Arms earplugs contained a serious flaw that rendered them essentially useless.

The initial design made it so that the earplugs were too small for standard Army carrying cases, and they also posed certain fit issues with some service members’ helmets. Because of this, the earplugs were modified and made shorter. While this solved the surface-level problems, it led to a serious side effect: the earplugs no longer effectively filtered out or blocked high-level noises, meaning service members were exposed to incredibly harmful, highly damaging noises. As a result, countless men and women suffered permanent, irreversible hearing damage, deafness, and tinnitus, a condition characterized by a persistent ringing or “buzzing” in the ears.

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Florida sits in close proximity to the ocean and vulnerability to storms and hurricanes. Homes in this area face unique threats and are at an increased risk of sustaining internal and external damages.

For these reasons, homeowner’s insurance and other property-related insurance coverages are the most vital forms of protection you can have as a property owner in this state. Below, we discuss some of the most common types of property damage insurance claims in Florida. We also cover the potential problems you may face when filing.

Exterior Wind Damage

Storms and hurricanes can lead to heavy winds, falling trees, or blowing objects. These weather events commonly results in roof damage. This damage to your roof may be more difficult to spot and locate. It can remain undetected until more serious signs of interior damage begin to manifest. It’s also a type of damage that typically requires complete replacement of the roof structure.

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Hurricane season around the Atlantic typically peaks each year in August and September, and this year has proven no different. Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Laura have left hundreds of thousands of people across Florida and the surrounding states with property damage and no power.

Ensuring your home is properly prepared for hurricane season is essential to reduce potential damage to your belongings and help you and your family stay safe. Here are some steps you can take to protect your home before a natural disaster hits.

Take an Inventory of your Property

Start by surveying your home and tallying your possessions before the start of hurricane season each year. If you claim damage to a specific part of your home, you want to ensure that you have the proper evidence to show the insurance company what type of physical damage was caused; that way, you can be properly reimbursed for everything you should be.

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Making an insurance claim should be easy. After all, insurance exists for a reason, right? You expect insurance coverage to make up for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages that you couldn’t have afforded to pay otherwise.

Unfortunately, many insurance companies will lowball settlements and offer claimants less than what they deserve. Remember, insurance companies are businesses above all else and will offer you the least possible amount that the company believes you will accept.

If you believe that you were offered a lower settlement than you deserve, do not take it! You have options moving forward, with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Determining Whether An Offer Is Low

After you’re injured in an accident, it’s understandable that you may want to just take the offer and put the whole ordeal behind you. However, you don’t want to take an offer that is less than your total damages. Otherwise, you may be left with out-of-pocket expenses when the settlement amount runs out.

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After disaster strikes your home or business in the form of a fire, flood, vandalism, or theft, the worst news may come when you receive notice that the insurance company has denied your property damage claim. You believe you did everything right and you have insurance for a reason, so what went wrong?

Unfortunately, many property damage claims are denied each year because of technicalities, sneaky insurance tactics, and even bad faith insurance practices. If your claim was denied or even if you plan to file one in the future, you should arm yourself with the information needed to ensure your insurance company does not treat you unfairly.

Common Reasons for Property Claim Denials

When the insurance company denies your claim, they must give you a valid reason why. In general, there are a few common reasons for property damage claim denials:

• Not filing on time. If you don’t notify the insurance company immediately of the incident, they may try to deny your claim for not following time-sensitive requirements for filing and documenting the damage.

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If not, we may be able to help. We represent homeowners and business owners who are being unfairly treated by their insurance companies. We can handle your claim— while protecting your legal rights— from the date of your loss to the final resolution of your claim. Or, we can take over the handling of your claim that has been underpaid or denied.

We will communicate with your insurance company on your behalf, evaluate and document your damages, compile the necessary documents, submit a detailed claim packet to your insurance company, and negotiate a settlement of your claim. If your insurance company wrongly denies any portion of your claim— or if settlement negotiations break down— we will file suit on your behalf to resolve your claim. We handle most residential claims on a contingency fee basis— we don’t charge a fee or costs unless we get results. Call us to schedule a free consultation and property inspection.

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