by Matt Williams

Personal InjuryJune 22, 20210 comments

What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage and Should I Have It in Florida?

Uninsured motorist coverage protects a policyholder who is involved in an accident with an at-fault driver who does not have any liability coverage.  Simply put, uninsured motorist coverage will protect you if you are hit by another person that does not have insurance.  Along those same lines, underinsured motorist coverage protects a policyholder who is involved in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover property damages or medical expenses.

All drivers in Florida are required to carry some level of personal injury protection (PIP).  PIP is insurance that covers the policy holder’s own medical bills when they are injured in a car accident, regardless of who is at fault (i.e., if you get into an accident then your PIP will cover the costs of your own medical bills regardless of who was at fault in the accident). PIP covers up to $10,000 in medical costs related to injuries that the policy holder sustains in an accident, but PIP will not cover more than $10,000 in bills. 

If you have more than $10,000 in medical bills then the at fault driver may cover your bills if they have liability coverage, but not all drivers have liability coverage. In fact, one in every eight drivers in the United States does not have insurance, so chances are you may be hit by someone who has no insurance.  In a situation where your medical bills are more than $10,000 and the at fault driver has no insurance, you will be responsible for paying your own medical bills out of pocket; which is why you should have uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage covers you when the at fault party does not have enough insurance to cover your bills, lost wages and/or your pain and suffering.

In Florida, you can have uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury claims or property claims, but you are not required to have either one (I still highly recommend having uninsured motorist coverage for both property and bodily injury).  If you are involved in an accident you can end up with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, you can be forced to stop working and you can be stuck with thousands of dollars in automobile repairs. If you are saddled with bill and unable to work, you credit score will be impacted, your financial stability will be disrupted and you could be forced into bankruptcy.  Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage can help cover lost wages and medical bills for both you and any passengers in your car, and uninsured motorist property damage coverage can help pay for vehicle repairs so you don’t have to pay out of pocket.  Underinsured motorist coverage works the same way; your policy will cover you in the event the other driver does not have enough insurance to cover all of your medical bills or property damage.

If you have been injured in a car accident then you should contact the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to discuss your rights and determine whether or not you need to file a claim using your uninsured or underinsured motorist policy. You can also give us a call if you haven’t been in an accident and you just have questions about the pros and cons of adding uninsured or underinsured coverage to your policy.  Depending on the facts of your situation and the facts of your case if you have been in an accident, we may be able to hold the at-fault driver or vehicle owner accountable for their negligence and/or find other individuals or companies that may be liable in your case.

There are many benefits to retaining a lawyer after you were injured in a car accident, or when you are deciding what kind of insurance coverage to purchase on your vehicle.  Attorney Williams and his legal team focus primarily on personal injury matters and they take pride in having a personal relationship with their clients. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case, and he refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve.  He obtains results for his clients and he’ll do the same for you, so give The Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.