Newlin Law Areas of Practice
How to Protect Against Uninsured Or Underinsured Motorists
Since Florida requires all vehicles with four or more wheels to be covered by insurance, you may not think you have to deal with uninsured motorists. Unfortunately, according to the March 15, 2018 edition of the Insurance Journal, Florida ranks in the top 5 states with the most uninsured motorists. According to a study by the Insurance Research Council, 26.7% of all drivers in Florida are uninsured. If you’re in an accident involving an uninsured motorist, there is no coverage for your injuries without uninsured motorist coverage.
How Do You Pay for Your Expenses If the Other Party is Uninsured?
At the very least, you should be paying for an auto insurance policy that includes the state required $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits. This covers 80% of medical bills associated with the accident regardless of who’s at fault. You’re still responsible for 20% of those costs, and that 20% could add up to a significant dollar amount. That doesn’t include lost wages or future medical expenses.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
To better protect yourself, you should choose to add Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) to your own insurance policy. This elective coverage bridges the financial gap when you’ve been hit by an uninsured or even an underinsured driver.
How Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Work?
When you add uninsured motorist coverage to your auto insurance policy, your uninsured motorist provider will usually compensate for injuries, pain, and suffering, lost wages, medical devices related to the accident, long-term nursing care, replacement for services you are no longer able to do, even death. To claim your uninsured motorist benefits, you have to prove the accident was caused by another party due to their negligence and that your injuries are permanent according to the Florida No-Fault Laws. It’s important to understand those uninsured motorist carriers aren’t necessarily your allies. They often fight hard to minimize their payout.
If the at-fault driver is underinsured, meaning their insurance coverage doesn’t adequately compensate you for your loss, most uninsured motorist policies also serve as Underinsured Motorist Coverage.
What if I’m the Passenger?
You may qualify for uninsured motorist benefits under the driver’s policy or if you live with someone that carries it on their policy. It depends on how the policy is written.
Auto Accident Attorney
To understand uninsured motorist and find out if you qualify for uninsured motorist benefits, call Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys right away at (407) 888-8000.
Bringing an uninsured motorist claim will not affect your auto insurance rates. It’s a premium service you pay for and are entitled to. We meet with you ― at no cost ― to assess your insurance policy and create a plan to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.