In Florida, drivers are only required to carry $10,000 in personal injury protection coverage, which pays their expenses for injury, and $10,000 in property damage coverage, which pays for any damage caused by an at-fault accident. Drivers aren’t required to be insured for any medical costs and lost wages that they inflict on others through their reckless or negligent driving. Drivers with only the minimum insurance requirements will only have the $10,000 in personal injury protection coverage to rely on if they are injured by another driver.
Many drivers believe they have larger amounts of coverage because they carry “bodily injury liability” coverage, or BI. But this insurance only covers you for damages that are your fault. Drivers are often surprised to learn that despite carrying high coverage for bodily injury liability, their BI policy won’t pay a penny for the injury they suffer as a result of an accident caused by another driver.
Fortunately, uninsured motorist policies are not expensive, and they have the added benefit of “stacking,” which lets policyholders combine their coverage over multiple vehicles. If you owned two cars and purchased $25,000 in UM coverage for each, you could have $50,000 in coverage available to you when you need it.
Too often, we’ve talked with clients who thought they were covered against another driver and were shocked to learn they weren’t. Many weren’t prepared for the burdens these expenses and lost wages placed on them. Uninsured motorist coverage only costs a few dollars a month but it’s priceless when you truly need it.
To learn more about how we can assist you, call Raymond Ravis Attorney at Law at (904) 358-4004 or fill out our online contact form today.
