Florida is a count in top state known for the highest motor vehicle crashes and deaths rate as per national average, the data are collected form the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
There were over 3,000 people who died in car accidents in Florida this year.
A lot of the people who survive these accidents have faced money problems because for their medical bills and they can’t work as much as before. Even if they have a solid personal injury case, that person might not have enough insurance to pay for the damage.
But you can avoid these money problems if you buy Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Florida insurance, that covers you if the other person doesn’t have insurance.
What is uninsured motorist coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage helps when you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t have car insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage, often provided together with uninsured coverage, is there for you if you’re in a crash with a driver who has insurance but not enough to cover all the costs of the damage or injuries they caused.
What is Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Florida?
In Florida, uninsured motorist coverage helps when you’re in an accident caused by a driver who either didn’t have insurance or not enough cost of insurance.
This kind of insurance usually covers you if the at-fault driver had some insurance but not enough to pay for all the damage. So, it protects you from other people’s mistakes on the road.
What are Florida Uninsured Motorist Problems ?
In 2019, Florida had a big problem with a lot of drivers not having car insurance. More than 20% of drivers in the state didn’t have insurance. And even the ones who had insurance often had the minimum coverage required as per state law, which isn’t nearly enough to cover serious injuries in an accident.
Pros and Cons of Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Florida
Uninsured motorist coverage gives you extra protection if you’re hurt by a driver who doesn’t have insurance. If you have really bad injuries that use up all the money from your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, you can ask your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage to pay for the things that PIP doesn’t cover.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage has another benefit – it helps you when a driver hits you and then runs away without stopping. This coverage also works if you’re walking or riding bike and get hit by a car.
The only one disadvantage is to getting UM coverage is that it adds to the cost of your insurance policy. But it’s usually not very expensive when you compare it to the other coverage offers.
Uninsured motorist coverage Florida stacked vs unstacked
Stacked Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Now, let’s imagine that the same uninsured driver crashes into your car. This time, your car is badly damaged, and you’re seriously hurt. You have insurance for two cars under your same car insurance policy then you have a STACKED uninsured motorist limit of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.
With stacked coverage, you can ask your insurance company to pay for your injuries. You can add together the uninsured motorist limits from both of the cars covered by your policy. Let me explain what this means.
- $50,000 /$100,000 Uninsured Motorist Coverage
- Two 2 cars on your policy = $100,000 per person / $200,000 per accident – Total Insurance Coverage Available.
When you have stacked coverage, you can have higher coverage limits. In this scenario, you could get as much as $100,000 for your own injuries and up to $200,000 for all the people who were hurt in your car.
Non-stacked Uninsured Motorist Coverage (Unstacked)
Let’s say an uninsured driver crashes into your car. Your car is badly damaged, and you’re seriously hurt. You have two cars covered by your personal auto insurance policy, and each car has an Uninsured Motorist (UM) limit of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. In mean you have Non-Stacked UM coverage.
In this situation, you can make a claim with your insurance company for your injuries. However, because you have non-stacked coverage with maximum limit of $50,000 to cover your own injuries. If there are other people in your car who were also injured in the accident, the total coverage for everyone is capped at $100,000.
Read | Cheapest Car Insurance in California in 2023
FAQs
Does Florida Require Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
In Florida, you don’t need to get uninsured motorist coverage, but we think it’s a really good idea, and there are various choices to consider.
Why are there so many uninsured motorists in Florida?
According to PIFF, the reason so many drivers in Florida don’t have insurance is because the cost of insurance is really high.
What is PIP coverage in Florida?
Personal injury protection or “PIP insurance,” is a kind of car insurance that covers your medical expenses following an accident, no matter who caused it.
Can you drive an uninsured car in Florida?
In Florida State, one out of every four drivers in doesn’t have the car insurance that’s legally required. Driving without insurance is against the law in Florida, and it’s a significant issue that could lead to your driver’s license being suspended or taken away.
Why is Florida car insurance so expensive?
Car insurance rates in Florida are quite high for a because is state considered for most dangerous state for driving. Additionally, there’s a lot of insurance fraud that happens in the state, which also contributes to the high costs.
Do I need uninsured coverage in Florida?
In Florida, you don’t have to get uninsured motorist coverage, but insurance companies offer it to you with cheap rates.
Does uninsured motorist claim raise my rates in Florida?
In Florida, insurance companies can’t increase your rates just because you make a claim for being in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. But, if you’ve been getting discounts for not being in an accident for a while, making a UM claim might cause you to lose some of those discounts.
