Uninsured Motorist Coverage – A Wise Choice for Florida Drivers

Florida drivers who do not have uninsured motorist coverage are playing insurance Russian roulette. The best way to protect you and your family in the event of a car accident is by purchasing uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Many drivers are uninformed about UM/UIM coverage. As Miami car accident lawyers it is important for us to inform the public about the best protection they or their love ones can have while driving.

Florida is considered a haven for uninsured/underinsured motorists. This reputation has been garnered partly due to the limited insurance requirements issued by the State of Florida. Specifically, the driver of a registered car is required to have insurance coverage in the amount of $10,000 in property damage and no fault coverage. Florida, however, does not require that a driver of a registered car have insurance to cover any bodily injuries he may cause as a result of an automobile accident.

The only way to make sure that there is adequate insurance coverage when you are the victim of someone else’s negligence is to purchase UM/UIM benefits. UM/UIM provides coverage through your own automobile insurance carrier for an adverse driver who was at fault for the accident, and who has no or insufficient bodily injury coverage.

By law, your automobile insurance company must offer UM/UIM coverage up to the limits of the bodily injury coverage that you elect to buy. In addition, if you own more than one car, you can purchase “stacked coverage”, meaning that the limits of coverage would be multiplied by the number of cars in your household that are covered under the policy. Purchasing UM/UIM coverage is an inexpensive way to increase your insurance coverage and protect your family.

As Miami car accident lawyers, we come across many clients who elect not to have UM/UIM motorist coverage. When inquiring as to why they elected not to purchase UM/UIM coverage, a common response is that the insurance agent advised them that they do not need UM/UIM coverage. This is patently not true, because it is relatively inexpensive and allows you to protect yourself from negligent drivers who are uninsured.

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert, P.A., P.A has handled hundreds of accident cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures and amputations, and catastrophic injuries where the presence of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage provided or would have provided proper compensation for families. It is important for Florida car accident lawyers to understand the confusing and complex language and ramifications of these policies. Familiarity with these issues will assist you and your family members in planning your insurance needs or in the handling of a car accident case.