Every year, over 142.9 million visitors flood Florida’s in 2024. But what happens when a vacation takes a turn for the worse? A distracted driver runs a red light. A rental car collision leaves you with a sprained neck. A rideshare accident sends you to the ER.
You might assume travel insurance has you covered—but here’s the harsh truth: It probably doesn’t. Here’s what every Florida visitor needs to know about insurance, legal options, and how to actually get compensated after a crash.
What Travel Insurance Covers in a Car Accident (and What It Doesn’t)
Many tourists assume that if they’re injured in a car accident while visiting Florida, their travel insurance will take care of everything. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. While travel insurance may cover some immediate costs, it’s not designed to handle the full impact of a serious accident.
In most cases, travel insurance only covers emergency medical treatment, and even then, policies often have strict limits. Some plans may include rental car damage protection if additional coverage was purchased, or reimburse trip cancellations if the accident disrupts travel plans. But beyond these basic protections, the coverage stops short.
What Travel Insurance Won’t Cover
What travel insurance won’t cover is often what accident victims need most. Long-term medical care, including physical therapy or surgeries, is typically not included. If the injuries prevent you from working, travel insurance won’t compensate for lost wages. It also won’t provide for pain and suffering—the compensation available in many personal injury claims to account for the lasting physical and emotional toll of an accident.
Perhaps most importantly, travel insurance does not hold negligent parties accountable. If another driver’s recklessness caused the accident, a travel insurance payout does nothing to help victims recover the full extent of their damages.
Simply put, travel insurance is meant to handle trip disruptions—not life-altering accidents. Tourists who suffer serious injuries in a car crash often find that filing a personal injury claim is their best option for securing the compensation they actually need.
When Tourists Can File a Personal Injury Claim in Florida
When an accident is caused by another driver’s negligence, the injured party has the right to seek compensation through a personal injury claim. This applies to tourists just as much as it does to Florida residents. Visitors injured in a car crash caused by a reckless driver, a drunk motorist, or even a defective rental car may be entitled to significant compensation.
A personal injury claim can cover a much broader range of expenses than travel insurance. Beyond immediate medical bills, it can provide compensation for ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, and lost wages if the injury prevents someone from working. Unlike travel insurance, a personal injury claim also allows accident victims to seek damages for pain and suffering—the physical and emotional distress that can linger long after the crash.
Consider the case. A tourist visiting West Palm Beach for a weekend getaway. While driving their rental car along I-95, they’re T-boned by a distracted local driver running a red light. Their travel insurance covers the initial ER visit, but it won’t pay for the months of physical therapy they need, the wages lost while recovering, or the chronic back pain that persists long after they return home.
The solution? A personal injury claim. While some may attempt to handle it on their own, navigating Florida’s legal system from out of state can be overwhelming. A West Palm Beach car accident lawyer can step in to manage the claim, negotiate with insurers, and fight for full compensation—so the injured tourist doesn’t have to face the process alone.
For injured tourists, the good news is that Florida law allows non-residents to file personal injury claims. Being from out of state does not disqualify someone from seeking compensation, and in many cases, a claim can result in a far greater financial recovery than relying on travel insurance alone.
Key Florida Laws Tourists Should Know
Florida’s road laws can be a maze—and if you’re not from here, you might assume they work the same as back home. They don’t.
Take Personal Injury Protection (PIP), for example. In Florida, local drivers rely on PIP coverage to handle their own medical bills after a crash, no matter who’s at fault. But if you’re a visitor driving a rental car or using your out-of-state insurance, those same rules may not apply to you. Instead, you might have a stronger case for a personal injury claim—one that can actually cover long-term expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
And what if the accident was partially your fault? In some states, that might mean you’re out of luck. But in Florida, comparative negligence laws allow you to still recover damages—even if you share some blame. The amount you receive just gets adjusted based on your level of fault. For example, if a reckless Florida driver blows through a stop sign and slams into you, but you were going a little over the speed limit, you might still be entitled to a significant settlement.
Now, here’s where things get tricky—timing matters. Florida laws set two years deadline from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. That might sound like plenty of time, but once you leave Florida, life moves on. Medical bills pile up, insurance companies delay, and before you know it, that deadline is dangerously close. Miss it, and you lose your right to compensation.
The bottom line? You don’t have to be a Florida resident to file a claim. If a negligent driver caused your injuries, you have rights—whether you’re from Miami or Minnesota.
Other Tourist Injury Cases Beyond Car Accidents
While car accidents might be the biggest risk for tourists in Florida, but they’re not the only way a vacation can take a painful turn. Every year, tourists end up in emergency rooms due to theme park hazards, hotel negligence, and water sports accidents.
A slip on an unmarked wet floor at a theme park, a loose tile at a Miami resort, or a jet ski malfunction mid-ride—these aren’t just bad luck; they’re preventable accidents. When businesses cut corners, visitors pay the price.
The good news? Tourists have the same legal rights as Florida residents. If negligence caused your injury, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recover compensation for medical bills, lost time, and lasting pain.
The Bottom Line: Travel Insurance Won’t Cut It After a Florida Car Crash
A Florida vacation can take a bad turn fast. Whether it’s a rental car accident, a rideshare crash, or a slip at a resort, travel insurance won’t cover the real costs—ongoing medical care, lost wages, or pain and suffering.
If someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, a personal injury claim may be your best option. And yes, tourists can file claims in Florida. The key? Act fast. Deadlines matter, and evidence fades.
Don’t rely on an insurance policy that wasn’t built for this. Talk to a personal injury attorney who fights for tourists—and get the compensation you deserve.