To all our friends, neighbors, and clients…
COUTURE LAW P.A. would like to remind you to please review your auto insurance policy for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (“UM”) coverage. There is good reason for this, as you may be unknowingly unprotected.
In Florida, the only required insurance coverages are:
- (1) Property Damage (pays for others’ property damage caused by an at-fault driver); and
- (2) PIP or Personal Injury Protection (pays for your own medical bills up to $10,000—no matter who is at fault).
If a driver carries both Property Damage and PIP, they are considered to have “Full Coverage,” as those are the only coverages required by Florida law.
It is NOT required for drivers to carry Bodily Injury (BI) coverage (pays for other people’s injuries caused by an at-fault driver).
That means that if you are involved in an accident in Florida that was not your fault, there is a high chance that the other driver who caused the accident did NOT carry any BI. And if they did, it may be a very low policy such as $10,000 – most times not nearly enough to compensate you for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering if you are seriously injured in an accident that was not your fault.
That’s scary!! What can you do?
YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF BY MAKING SURE YOU HAVE PURCHASED Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (“UM”) coverage ON YOUR OWN POLICY. UM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COVERAGE YOU CAN CARRY FOR YOURSELF.
(Please also note that choosing the stacking UM option can double or triple your coverage or more, and is WELL worth the nominal increase in your premium).
We hope that you will never have to make UM claim. But in the event that you do, you will be covered and will thank yourself for that.
~ From all of us at Couture Law P.A.