Call Your Auto Insurance Agent Today and Ask “Do I Have Uninsured Motorist Insurance Coverage?”

Drivers in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto and the rest of Manatee County may or may not be surprised to learn that many Florida drivers are not covered by auto insurance. Florida law does not require auto bodily injury liability insurance, and only mandates that you carry no fault auto medical and auto liability property insurance. As recently as 2007, about 23 percent of drivers in Florida were uninsured according to the Research Insurance Council. Thus we have a large percentage of uninsured drivers operating vehicles everyday on the roads of Florida, who have no insurance available to compensate you for injuries sustained in a car accident.

Accordingly, you should carry your own uninsured (commonly referred to as UM insurance) to ensure that you are fully protected from an at fault driver who has either no liability insurance or insufficient liability insurance to cover or pay for all your injuries or damages. The other “at fault” driver’s liability insurance is what covers you for such items as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If he or she does not have bodily injury liability insurance, (remember about one if four Florida drivers don’t) you will only have up to $10,000 protection or coverage under your own required no fault insurance called PIP benefits or personal injury protection benefits.

PIP insurance covers, after a deductible, only 80 percent of all medical bills and 60 percent of lost wages. No medical bills or lost wages over $10,000 will be covered, and you will not have any source of monetary recovery for pain and suffering or loss of use of normal function of a body part, or for loss of enjoyment of the quality of life you had previous to the accident. Significant injuries can easily require expensive medical treatment and continuing physical therapy or even costly surgical procedures. Additionally, you could have significant past or ongoing loss of income piled on top of your medical expense. It is therefore critical that you carry uninsured motorist coverage to protect yourself and your family from the adverse financial consequences of an auto accident.

Many people unfortunately waive uninsured insurance to save a few dollars on their premium. Adding uninsured motorist coverage to your auto insurance policy is not that expensive and will not likely significantly increase the cost. But it will provide you with significant benefits and peace of mind if you are unfortunate to be in an accident with a financially irresponsible driver. At Harris Law Group, we offer free initial consultations to explain your legal rights under your automobile insurance policy and the at fault driver’s insurance policy.

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