While drivers in Florida are required by law to have specific minimum insurance coverage on their motor vehicles to drive here, the fact remains that many drivers in Florida are uninsured. While having uninsured motorist coverage is not mandatory, it is a good idea for drivers to pay the extra small premium to ensure against potential risk.
Our Uninsured Driver Problem
In Florida, drivers who are uninsured or underinsured are a huge problem. The Florida DMV has estimated that approximately one in seven drivers on our roads is uninsured. Other estimates have come in as high as one in four drivers in Florida driving without insurance. That equates to millions of drivers without insurance, with a chance that if you are involved in a car accident in Boca Raton, FL, there is a 25 percent chance that the other person is uninsured. The rest typically have the bare minimum of coverage for personal injury protection and property damage liability.
How Insurance Works in Florida
All registered drivers in Florida are required to carry a minimum amount of insurance. This includes $10,000 in personal injury protection coverage and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Because Florida is a no-fault insurance state, personal injury protection will cover the policyholder for medical bills and lost wages up to the amount of coverage in case they or their passengers sustain any injuries in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
PIP insurance will cover
- The insured driver
- Any other residents of the insured driver’s household
- Anyone driving the insured driver’s vehicle
- Any passengers in the insured driver’s vehicle
Personal injury protection coverage will pay up to 80 percent of medical expenses, 60 percent of lost income, and death benefits up to $5,000 up to the total amount of coverage, minus any deductibles.
Property damage liability will cover damages to the other individual’s car in the case of an accident.
What Happens When a Serious Accident is the Fault of Another Driver?
Serious accidents often result in extensive damage to the vehicles and extraordinary medical costs. In the case of severe injuries, an injured party may have the right to pursue compensation from an at-fault party.
But bodily injury insurance is not required in Florida. While this then makes the at-fault party personally liable through a personal injury lawsuit, if the other driver doesn’t have insurance, chances are that they don’t have any financial resources either. While a victim can file a lawsuit, the chances of recovery are slim. This makes it very difficult for an injury victim to receive full compensation for their injuries or other damages.
How Uninsured Motorist Coverage Can Help
When an accident results in injuries, medical costs, and lost wages, uninsured motorist coverage will cover anything that other insurance coverage falls short on. Uninsured motorist insurance will cover collisions, hit and run accidents, and even pedestrian accidents in Boca Raton, FL. It will also cover you even if you are riding or driving someone else’s vehicle.
While you aren’t required to carry uninsured motorist coverage in Florida, with so many uninsured drivers on our roads, it is a good idea to mitigate your risks by purchasing this additional coverage if you drive on our roads.
Recovering Compensation After an Accident in Florida
If you have been involved in an accident in Florida, getting compensated fairly for injuries can be a problem. You may have been seriously injured by a negligent uninsured driver, or you may even be struggling to collect from your own personal injury protection policy.
Navigating insurance claims after an accident in Florida can be complicated and require serious negotiation and even a possible lawsuit to ensure that you get fairly compensated under the law. At Ged Lawyers, LLP, our team of Boca Raton car accident lawyers can help you navigate insurance claims and get the compensation you deserve.
If you have been injured in an accident and are having difficulty getting insurance benefits for your damages, call us at (561) 562-4170 or contact us online to see how we can help get you the compensation you deserve.
