What type of auto insurance should I have?

At Mark Roman Law Group we encounter clients with inadequate automobile insurance coverage on a daily basis. This could have a major impact on your life. Because of the current state of Florida law, many people are being victimized by the uninsured drivers and under-insured drivers who use our roads. This problem is real, it's serious and it could spell disaster for those who aren't prepared for an accident caused by people who do not have financial responsibility to pay for the consequences of their driving errors.

In part, the problem is caused by existing Florida law which we disagree with. In Florida, the only car insurance required to drive on our roads is “Personal Injury Protection Benefits” (PIP) and Property Damage coverage.

REQUIRED AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COVERAGE IN FLORIDA:

Personal Injury Protection Coverage. If you don't already know, your PIP insurance pays only a portion of your own medical bills or wage loss regardless of who is a fault in causing an accident.

Property Damage Coverage. Your Property Damage insurance will pay someone else for damage caused to their car, and loss of its use if you cause an accident that damages another person's car.

Currently, these are the only insurance coverages required. Keeping in mind that there are several kinds of losses these benefits do not cover, and that these coverages are often dwarfed by the actual losses suffered, you are at risk if you do not have additional insurance coverage.

DAMAGES TO BE RECOVERED:

In Florida, victims of negligent drivers are entitled by law to recover the following basic categories of damages if they are caused by an accident:

• Medical bills in the past and to be incurred in the future
• Wage Loss and other out of pocket expenses in the past and to be experience in the future
• Damage to ones car and a rental car while it is being repaired or replaced
• Money reparations for suffering, pain, loss of quality of life, loss of the ability to enjoy ones life, disfigurement, disability and the like.

THE BOTTOM LINE. WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM UNINSURED DRIVERS?

Many Floridian's do not have health insurance. The minimum PIP benefit pays only $10,000. It has never been increased since it was created in the 1970's. It isn't realistic to assume PIP will cover all of your medical bills. Bodily Injury (BI) insurance is not required. Large outstanding medical bills can cause financial ruin. Much of the damage categories above are often literally uncollectible when an uninsured driver who has no BI coverage is to blame. But there is a solution. The answer lies in obtaining as much uninsured/under-insured motorist insurance as you can afford.

I urge you to follow this simple advice:

1. Contact your car insurance company or agent to determine whether you have BI insurance.
2. If you have BI insurance, make sure you did not reject UM insurance. (You automatically get UM if you obtain BI).
3. Make sure your UM is “stacking”. Make sure you did not reject stacked UM.(stacking provides significant additional coverage in several situations, even if you only have one car).
4. Get several quotes on your insurance. (The difference between companies can be significant.)

Sadly, we have seen first hand how insurance companies frequently provide customers with poor explanations, and legally inaccurate explanations of how the different coverages work. People regularly reject BI and UM coverage and select “unstacked UM” based on bad information.

Don't be one of them. And don't let anyone talk you out of it.

I realize that all insurance policies are expensive and increasingly so. Still, the consequences of being uninsured or under-insured can be devastating. Purchase the highest UM limits you can afford. In the tragic event of a wrongful death, or catastrophic injury, great losses can go completely uncompensated. It is difficult enough to collect what you deserve from an insurance company after a collision. Having little or no coverage can mean you can't even try.

If you would like more information, or have any questions about uninsured motorist insurance coverage, please feel free to call our offices. We believe this problem would not exist as it does today if Florida drivers were more informed when buying insurance.

Our Mission at Mark Roman Law Group is to provide compassionate, aggressive, results-oriented representation to those in need because... We Really Care.

You can speak with an attorney today. Call us toll free 1 866-999-MRLG (6754). Our initial consultation is free. If we are able to take your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis. This means that if there is no monetary recovery, you owe us nothing.