Florida, like other states, has minimum coverage requirements for all drivers. The State requires all drivers to carry a minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage (PDL). There is no requirement in Florida that a driver carries any bodily injury liability insurance nor is there a requirement for drivers to carry any Uninsured or Underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM). While it is not required, however, there are a number of situations in which UM coverage may be exceedingly valuable. We will discuss these situations here so that you can make an informed decision about whether you should carry UM coverage.
Should You Carry UM Coverage in Florida?
In Florida, bodily injury liability (BI) coverage is not required of drivers. If you are injured in an accident by a driver who does not carry BI coverage, then you will be totally reliant on your own policy to provide you with compensation for injuries and losses sustained in the accident. PIP coverage will pay out regardless of who is at fault for the accident, but that is only $10,000 in coverage. Without any UM coverage, that is all that will be available to you to compensate you for your injuries. While you may be able to seek a monetary judgment against the at-fault party, it is often difficult to enforce due to the low financial resources available to the at-fault party.
Even if the at-fault party carries BI coverage, it could be in a small amount that will not be sufficient to cover all of your damages stemming from the accident. Should the at-fault party carry BI coverage, but an insufficient amount, you can first exhaust the available BI limits and then turn to UIM coverage to provide you with further compensation necessary to address your damages.
UM coverage can also come into play should you be the victim of a hit and run accident. When a driver leaves the accident scene and cannot be located, the injured driver may seek compensation pursuant to UM coverage. In fact, when a driver leaves the accident scene, only your insurance coverage will be available as the other driver is unknown and, thus, any insurance coverage he or she may have had will not be available.
In sum, these are some of the scenarios you should think about when considering whether to carry UM coverage. UM coverage can be a complete life-saver should you be injured by a driver without insurance coverage or without insurance coverage sufficient to properly compensate you for your losses. It can also prove extremely valuable in the event that you are injured by a hit and run driver in an auto accident.
Florida Personal Injury
Insurance laws and requirements can be difficult to unravel. At VCM Law Group, our trusted attorneys are not only here to help explain these laws and their implications, but we are also here to provide you with dedicated legal counsel about your options going forward. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, we are here to protect and fight for your legal right to receive full and fair compensation for your injuries. Contact us today.