High Cost of Florida Car Insurance Leaves Many Underinsured
High insurance rates can lead drivers to buy policies with less coverage than they really ought to have. And some people can’t afford any insurance at all but might drive illegally anyway. While that may be risky, so is sharing the road with uninsured drivers.
If you live in Florida and own a car, you know the pain of paying high auto insurance premiums. What you might not know is that Florida’s premiums are among the highest in the nation. In fact, the Sunshine State is second only to Louisiana in having the least affordable car insurance. But even worse is what happens if you actually need to use your insurance after a car accident.
Let’s say you are rear-ended and suffer what you think are minor injuries. You attempt to exchange insurance information with the at-fault driver only to find that the individual has no insurance. In this scenario, your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage would have to pay 80 percent of your medical costs and lost wages up to $10,000 if your injuries are serious, documented and treated by a qualified health care provider within 14 days of the accident. The state also requires a minimum of $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL) to cover damage you caused to property other than your own. But if you have costs that are not covered by PIP or that go beyond the $10,000, are you out of luck?
Not necessarily. Ideally, your policy includes not just PIP and property damage coverage but also underinsured/uninsured (UM) coverage. This covers a situation in which the party responsible for your accident either has no insurance or no bodily injury liability coverage, which would pay for some of your medical expenses and other injury-related costs. (Collision coverage would pay for the damage to your car.)
If you do not have this coverage and have been injured in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured at-fault driver, a reputable, experienced personal injury lawyer may be able to help. Ultimately, negligent drivers are responsible for their conduct, and you are not barred from filing a claim to recover damages.
The attorneys at Robinson, Kennon & Kendron, P.A. have handled many types of auto accident cases and are ready to help you. Call us at 844.210.0025 or contact us online for a free initial consultation to discuss your case.