Uninsured Drivers in Florida
The Insurance Research Council reported that about 16.1% of U.S. drivers lack car insurance. They also stated that in Florida approximately 23% of drivers are uninsured, which is significantly higher than the national average. In fact, our state has the fifth highest percentage of uninsured drivers in the country.
These statistics can be alarming since we don’t usually think about the risk of driving and getting into an accident with someone who doesn’t have sufficient car insurance. The truth is if you or a loved one was involved in a crash with an uninsured driver and you don’t have Uninsured Motorist coverage, there is a high chance you won’t get the compensation to cover all of your accident damages.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage & Florida Car Insurance Laws
Florida is a “No-Fault” state, which means that after an accident, individuals turn to their own auto insurance companies to recover compensation for some of their accident losses regardless of which driver is liable. By law, drivers are required to purchase full liability car insurance with a minimum of $10K in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Your PIP benefits will typically pay for 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to the $10k limit.
On the other hand, bodily injury liability coverage provides payment for injury claims made against your insurance by another driver when you get into an accident and cause severe personal injury or death to the other party. Florida law doesn’t require drivers to purchase this coverage, and as a result, 1 out of 5 drivers do not have it.
As a result, if you sustained an injury in an accident with one of the 19% of drivers that lacks bodily injury liability coverage, your recovery is limited to your PIP coverage unless you purchased an Uninsured Motorist Policy.
Benefits of Uninsured Motorist Policy
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage protects you if you are injured by a driver that is uninsured or does not have sufficient coverage to reimburse you for the full amount that you are entitled. For instance, if the other driver has bodily insurance coverage but your losses exceed the amount of their policy, your UM coverage could make up the difference.
Florida law grants drivers with UM coverage the same amount of bodily injury insurance they purchased unless their insurance provider signed a UM rejection form. Moreover, UM coverage can be obtained as “stacking” which means that it may be added to UM coverage you have through another vehicle.
Benefits of Hiring an Attorney
Having legal representation when filing an uninsured motorist claim can ensure that your auto insurance company pays out. It’s no secret that insurance adjusters are trained to protect their company’s bottom line and often employ unfair tactics to save money. Hiring an automobile accident lawyer from Miami will help you get the maximum compensation from your PIP benefits and UM coverage and 1-800 Injured can help get you connected with one. Also, depending on your case, an attorney may even recommend filing a personal injury lawsuit to get you the full amount of money you need to recover.
Call 1-800-Injured Today!
If you need help filing an uninsured motorist claim after a Miami car accident, 1-800-Injured can connect you with an experienced personal injury attorney in your area. We are an attorney and medical referral service that works with a network of lawyers dedicated to helping clients, like you, get their life back on track after an accident. Call us today toll-free at 1-800-Injured to get started on your case.