Insurance is complicated. That being said, it is also incredibly important to make sure you have insurance coverage that will adequately cover you should you need it. Take a minute to review your auto insurance policy and check to see if you have the right kind of protection for you and your family.
Insurance is complicated and dealing with insurance companies is overwhelming. If you have been injured in an auto accident, contact personal injury attorney Ron Herman. He is here to fight for your right to full and fair compensation.
Should You Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Florida?
Like most states, Florida requires that all drivers carry automobile insurance. State law mandates that drivers carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) which will cover the insured driver and household members no matter who is at fault in a car accident. The coverage limit is usually $10,000 for medical and $5,000 in death benefits.
However, Florida law does not require that drivers carry bodily injury liability (BI) coverage. If you are injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver, you can make a claim against their BI coverage to seek compensation for your injuries. The problem is that an estimated one in five Florida licensed drivers do not carry BI coverage as it is not required under State law. This means that you will be left with $10,000 in PIP benefits under your own insurance plan and that’s it. $10,000 does not go very far when it comes to medical costs, especially if emergency services were required.
All of this is to say that it is a good idea to consider having Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist (UM) coverage. UM will cover those damages that would have been covered had the at-fault driver been properly insured. This includes coverage for:
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
Many people reject UM coverage without fully understanding how it works or how it could benefit them. All they know is that adding UM would make insurance costlier. Yes, it is an added cost, but it could make all of the difference should you ever be injured in a car accident.
Also, know that if you select UM coverage, it will be of an amount equal to your BI coverage on a stacked basis unless you request a lower limit. Stacking coverage means that, if your insurance policy covers multiple vehicles, the coverage is multiplied times the number of vehicles on the policy. For example, if you have stacking UM coverage for $25,0000 per person/$50,0000 per incident, on each of two vehicles, then total coverage available to you would be $50,000/$100,000 per incident. Stacked UM is often costlier, but that is because it gives you broader coverage.
Here to Make Sure Auto Accident Victims Receive the Compensation They Deserve.
At Herman Law, P.A., we stand up to insurance companies to make sure our clients are properly compensated for the damages they’ve sustained in a car accident. Personal injury attorney Ron Herman will aggressively pursue all avenues of monetary recovery for you so that you can focus on healing.