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Why Buy Florida Uninsured And Underinsured Auto Insurance?

Why Buy Florida Uninsured And Underinsured Auto Insurance?
The number of uninsured motorists out on our nation’s highways can obviously only be estimated, given that driving without auto insurance is illegal, but most sources say that at least an eighth of US drivers are uninsured, and Florida has often ranked number one in uninsured motorist rates.
And the danger of getting in an accident involving an underinsured motorist is also high in Florida, since drivers are not required to buy bodily injury liability coverage.

Thus, you should take action to guard against un- and under- insured motorists as conscientiously as you would against car theft, and both personal and commercial auto insurance policies are much “safer” with “UM” cover included.

Understanding Florida’s Auto Insurance Laws
Everyone in Florida is required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP). But PIP only covers you and your family members for direct medical expenses, lost wages, and certain other related costs stemming from the accident. It will not cover loss of future earning ability or ongoing disabilities, nor non-economic (pain and suffering) claims.

Additionally, PIP will normally only cover up to $10,000 in medical and $5,000 for a death benefit. A catastrophic injury would cost far more. And you have to buy bodily injury coverage prior to being covered against claims made against you for personal injuries by the other driver.

So where does uninsured motorist (UM) coverage come into play? It covers your medical expenses should the other driver have no insurance or not enough insurance to do so. It fills in potential coverage gaps that PIP and bodily injury cover alone don’t cover sufficiently or at all.

Why UM Auto Insurance Is Very Important In Florida
Again, Florida often scores number one in uninsured motorists and very high in underinsured motorist statistics from year to year. That fact alone makes UM very important to Floridian drivers.

As much as one in every five or six vehicles you pass on any given Florida roadway could be uninsured or underinsured. It is not required in Florida for drivers to carry bodily injury liability, which would help pay for your medical expenses if another driver injured you.

By carrying bodily injury (BI) and uninsured motorist (UM) on your Florida auto insurance policy, you protect yourself against liability for accidentally injuring others and against the possibility that other drivers won’t have BI to cover you should the situation be reversed.

You can’t just count on a judgment or lawsuit to force uninsured/underinsured motorists to “pay up,” because they may not be financially able to do so no matter what the court may order (which may explain why they didn’t have any or enough car insurance to begin with.)

It normally doesn’t cost much extra to add UM to your policy, and all car insurance companies in Florida are required to offer, by law, if they offer bodily injury (which almost all of them will.) So it makes little sense to put yourself at extra risk by going without uninsured motorist coverage.

To learn more about un- and under- insured motorist coverage or to get a free quote, contact Flagler County Insurance Agency today!