Under Florida Law, Bodily Injury Insurance is not required. This means that you can own and operate a car, truck, or motorcycle in Florida without having the insurance that compensates somebody that you hit and injure or even worse kill. Therefore, our law firm believes that the only way to protect yourself and your family in the event of a serious car accident in Florida is to buy insurance that is commonly referred to as “uninsured motorist coverage”.
Uninsured motorist coverage will protect you and your family members in the event that you are hit by a car, truck, or motorcycle that either has no insurance (which many do not) or has inadequate insurance (which most do) to compensate you for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Insurance companies try to avoid selling this type of insurance because they know that is the time it will most likely have to get paid out in the event of an accident.
It is not uncommon for someone to believe that they have “full coverage” when in fact they only have the basic mandatory minimum coverage that’s required in Florida, otherwise known as personal injury protection or PIP insurance. Less PIP insurance will only pay a portion of your medical expenses, usually after a sizable deductible or a portion of your lost wages, usually after a sizable deductible- regardless of whether or not you’re at fault for the accident. In other words, if you’re sitting at an intersection at a light and you get rear-ended by a truck that doesn’t have insurance or even one that is fully insured, your PIP insurance will pay the first portion of your medical expenses, usually up to $10,000. It is difficult for most people to believe that their own insurance will have to pay for their medical bills even if they were not at fault but it’s true.
Florida’s auto insurance laws are designed to protect the profits of insurance companies at the expense of those who are injured and killed on Florida highways. Most people don’t understand this, which is why it’s important to speak with an experienced and aggressive Miami car accident lawyer as soon as possible if you’ve been involved in a car, motorcycle, truck, or pedestrian accident.