Statistics show that roughly 1 in every 4 drivers in Florida has absolutely no liability insurance. Probably at least 2 of the remaining 4 have very low liability insurance limits. Pretty scary. So how do you protect yourself and your family from this risk? By proactively obtaining the insurance coverage you need NOW. Do you know how much uninsured motorist coverage you have? Most people don’t. In fact, most people don’t even know what it is. Every week, we face the unpleasant task of explaining to a victim of personal injury or the family who has suffered a wrongful death resulting from a car wreck that there is no insurance coverage available to compensate them for their suffering. With adequate uninsured motorist coverage in place, these folks could obtain the compensation they deserve.
Uninsured motorist (“UM”) coverage “protects you from the other guy.” If someone else causes a vehicular accident and has either no liability insurance or an inadequate amount of liability insurance, your own UM coverage will compensate you. Most experienced lawyers in the personal injury and wrongful death field believe it is the most important automobile coverage to have. Having handled those cases for decades, we know it is.
We often hear people say they have “full coverage.” Frequently, they really only have minimal liability limits ($10,000, for example) and absolutely no uninsured motorist coverage. Florida law entitles you to purchase UM coverage equal to your liability insurance limits. You are also entitled to purchase “stacking” coverage so that you can add together the UM coverage on each vehicle in your household. Simply put, you and your family need adequate UM protection. The roads in Florida are dangerous and there are too many drivers on them without adequate insurance.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you are protected because your coverage is with “a good company.” That is another remark we hear frequently. It doesn’t matter how good your insurance company is if you don’t have the coverage you need. If you don’t believe us, ask your “good company” if they will pay you UM benefits even though you don’t have UM coverage. The answer to that question is obvious, isn’t it?
So be proactive. Please take a minute NOW and actually look at your policy. Call your insurance agent NOW and ask her how much bodily injury (“BI”) and UM coverage you actually have. Don’t fall into the “full coverage” trap. We all buy insurance hoping we never need to use it. Make sure you have the proper insurance coverage in place and do it NOW. It is too late once, God forbid, personal injury or wrongful death strikes and your family does, in fact, need this valuable insurance coverage.
