Do I Need Uninsured Motorist Insurance?
Car insurance can be costly. It’s not uncommon for a driver to pay $1,000 or more for six months of coverage. Although insurance is good to have in the event of a car crash, that’s a huge expense for something you may never end up using. As such, many motorists opt for as little coverage as allowed by their state so they can pay the bare minimum.
Each state has laws regarding minimum insurance requirements. Under state law, Florida requires several forms of car insurance:
- $10,000 property damage liability
- $10,000 personal injury protection
- $10,000 bodily injury per person per accident
- $20,000 bodily injury for all people per accident
There are penalties for those who fail to carry car insurance. They include fines and jail time. Despite this, many motorists in Florida are uninsured. In fact, the state has the highest percentage of uninsured motorists in the nation, at 26.7%.
Because of this, you’ll want to protect yourself in the event of a car accident. If another person causes your crash, and they have no insurance, you would be out of luck unless you have uninsured motorist insurance. This insurance pays for medical bills, lost wages and other damages you incur in a crash with an uninsured motorist so you don’t have to worry about paying for any expenses out of pocket.
Uninsured motorist insurance can be helpful in cases where the driver who hit you may be unknown, such as in a hit and run accident. Since you don’t know who hit you, you cannot hold the person and their insurance company liable for your damages. However, if you have uninsured motorist insurance, your insurance company will take care of your damages for you.
By law, your insurance company is required to offer you this coverage. To get uninsured motorist coverage, however, you must also purchase bodily injury liability coverage. The amount of uninsured motorist insurance you are able to purchase depends on the amount of bodily injury liability coverage you have. Therefore, if you purchase $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage, you can purchase up to $100,000 in uninsured motorist insurance.
If you want coverage for being a pedestrian who is hit by a car or have a vehicle that would be expensive to replace, uninsured motorist coverage is a good idea. Adding this coverage is not too expensive. Contact your insurer to inquire about rates and protect yourself and your vehicle.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today
A car accident can affect a person for a long time. A crash can lead to medical bills, time off work, pain and suffering, and other damages. Uninsured motorist insurance can protect you financially so you can focus on healing.
The experienced West Palm Beach uninsured motorist lawyers at Pike & Lustig, LLP can help you fight against the insurance company, which will try to devalue your case. We are not afraid to fight for your rights in court. We have offices in West Palm Beach, Wellington and Miami to serve you. To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call 561-291-8298.
Resource:
iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists
