The Importance of Uninsured Motorist Coverage in the State of Florida
Do I need that extra Uninsured Motorist Coverage? Underinsured Motorist Coverage? Bodily Injury Insurance? What do they mean? What do they do? Since the explosion of internet shopping, the days of sitting down with a local insurance agent are rare. This is why it is important to be educated when it comes to purchasing your own auto insurance.
Bodily Injury Insurance
In Florida, there is no legal requirement to purchase Bodily Injury Protection insurance. This insurance is the part of your policy that protects and pays the claim if you cause injury to someone else in an auto accident. If an accident is your fault, the person you hurt would normally make a claim on your bodily injury portion of your auto insurance policy. However, there is no legal requirement in the State of Florida to carry Bodily Injury coverage. Because of this many people, today do not have it. This means if they hurt you, you may have no possible remedy for your out of pocket medical bills, lost wages, or for your pain and suffering. You are on the hook for it all.
Importance of Uninsured Motorist Coverage
That is why Uninsured motorist coverage is so important. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if you’re in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn’t carry bodily injury or liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, steps in if you are in an accident with an at-fault driver that only carries a small amount of liability or bodily injury coverage. In these situations, Underinsured motorist coverage steps in to cover the damage or medical expenses.
Uninsured motorist coverage and Underinsured motorist coverage is offered by all insurance companies. However, you must choose it as elective coverage. Normally, adding this to your policy only costs ten to twenty dollars per month, depending on the amount of coverage you purchase. In this day of internet shopping, most people do not understand what they are buying. Many are only looking for the lowest monthly premiums. Presently, it is more important than ever to understand auto insurance and protect yourself accordingly.
Being involved in an auto accident is traumatic enough. Make sure that you do not add to the trauma by not being prepared. If you are unsure what coverage you have, contact your local insurance carrier for a full auto insurance review. If you have been injured in an auto accident, contact our experienced Jacksonville Auto Accident Attorneys for a free consultation about your case.
