Many of my clients and potential clients do not understand uninsured motorist insurance in Florida. Additionally, insurance sales people and insurance companies often do a poor job of explaining it. Therefore, consumers reject it quite often as just another piece of overpriced insurance coverage.
Uninsured/underinsured (“UM/UIM”) insurance coverage is the most important auto coverage. It protects you from drivers who have elected not to purchase bodily injury coverage. But over 20% of Florida drivers do not carry any automobile insurance at all. And approximately 25% of Florida drivers carry only the minimum required auto insurance under Florida law.
Florida does not currently require motor vehicle owners to purchase bodily injury liability coverage. Instead, Florida law only require auto insurance policies to cover property damage and personal injury protection (“PIP”). Which means Florida requires drivers to carry very little coverage and nothing to cover others’ medical expenses.
What does Uninsured Motorist Insurance in Florida Cover?
Uninsured motorist insurance protects you from uninsured or underinsured drivers. Uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage can compensate you for your damages from a car crash.
These “damages” can be past medical bills, future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Essentially, this coverage compensates injury victims in the same way that bodily injury coverage does.
The uninsured motorist insurance provider is said to “step into the shoes” of the other driver. Therefore, your insurance will pay for whatever damages caused by the uninsured driver. The limit to how much the insurance company will pay is determined by the UM/UIM policy limits.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance Policy Limits in Florida
Florida law requires every driver to insure their car. However, as discussed above, the coverage requirement is very minimal. The law doesn’t require that drivers in Florida purchase bodily injury insurance coverage. Instead, the law requires Floridians to purchase personal injury protection and property damage coverage.
However, I always recommend to my friends and family that they purchase bodily injury and uninsured motorist insurance coverage. A Florida auto insurance policy must also have bodily injury insurance coverage to get uninsured motorist coverage. Without bodily injury coverage, one cannot get uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Then how much UM/UIM coverage is enough? That is an excellent question.
The answer is fairly simple. Get as much coverage as you can afford. In practice, that means get the maximum amount your policy will allow and then purchase stacking coverage (discussed below).
UM/UIM insurance coverage protects you and your family from injuries from auto accidents. Therefore, the goal should be to offer as much protection to your loved ones as possible. We do this by purchasing as much coverage as we can afford and stacking it.
People can suffer massive injuries in car accidents. Most types of insurance do not compensate victims for these types of injuries.
Without UM/UIM coverage, victims can often be left relying on PIP and health insurance alone. These insurances do not cover pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages we often suffer in car accidents. As a result of this, many victims don’t have enough protection from car crashes.
This is why I always recommend getting the most coverage possible. That means purchasing bodily injury insurance. And it also means purchasing stacking.
What is Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage is a simple coverage that confuses many consumers. Basically, it allows you to double (or triple) how much UM/UIM coverage you have. With stacking coverage, your UM/UIM coverage is multiplied by the number of vehicles on your policy.
If you purchased a $25,000.00 UM/UIM policy and have two vehicles on your policy, you will have $50,000.00 in UM/UIM coverage. If you have three vehicles on your policy, you will have $75,000.00 in UM/UIM coverage.
Call Knapp Accident & Injury Law
If you have been the victim in a car accident, you may need an attorney. And if you need an attorney, it should be someone that understands how Florida insurance policies work.
Knapp Accident & Injury Law has over a decade of experience both working for and against insurance companies. As a result, my law firm understands how to pursue uninsured motorist insurance benefits.
I am available to serve victims of negligence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That is because pursuing compensation for injured people is all I do. Call me today at (813) 568-3724 for a free consultation about your potential case.
