Florida Auto Insurance Basics

Florida has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country, which leaves many people wondering if there is certain coverage that they can forego. To help, we’ve included a brief breakdown of your insurance options in Florida and how they can affect your chances of recovery after an accident.

Required Coverage in Florida 

Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, which means that accident victims’ own insurers will cover some of their initial damages regardless of who was at fault for the crash. This type of insurance is known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and all drivers in the state are required to purchase it. These policies cover up to 80 percent of a victim’s medical bills and 60 percent of his or her lost wages, but only up to the policy maximum of $10,000. PIP policies cover the policyholder, as well as any of that person’s relatives that live in the same home, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It is not, however, an option available to motorcyclists. Besides PIP coverage, all drivers in Florida are required to purchase $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance, which pays for damage a policyholder causes to another person’s vehicle.

Florida drivers who have these policies are often described as having full coverage. This term, however, is misleading because it doesn’t mean that an injured party can expect all of his or her losses to be fully covered.

Recommended Auto Insurance Coverage 

To avoid being on the hook for any remaining losses not covered by PIP or PDL insurance, Florida motorists should also consider purchasing:

• Bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage, which provides coverage for serious injury or death to others caused by a policyholder’s negligence;
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which provides coverage for policyholders who are involved in accidents with an at-fault driver who lacks enough insurance to fully cover the victim’s damages;
• Medical payment insurance, which covers medical costs that aren’t covered by PIP, regardless of who was at fault for causing the crash;
• Collision coverage, which can be used when a policyholder’s vehicle is damaged in an accident;
• Gap coverage, which makes up the difference when a policyholder’s vehicle is totaled and he or she owes more than the car is worth; and
• Accidental death policies, which provide coverage to a policyholder’s family members if he or she is killed in an accident caused by another driver.

Unfortunately, just because a person has additional auto insurance coverage, does not mean that his or her claims will all be approved, as many insurers will go to great lengths to offer unfairly low settlements or to deny valid claims outright.

Set Up a Meeting with Our Tampa Legal Team Today 

If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident in Florida and are having a hard time contending with your various insurance claims, please call the dedicated and compassionate Tampa auto accident lawyers at Anderson & Anderson for help. We have been assisting accident victims throughout Florida for nearly 40 years and are eager to put that experience to work in your own case.

Sources: 

flhsmv.gov/insurance/

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.736.html