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Many drivers in Miami-Dade learn about uninsured motorist coverage the hard way. They get rear-ended on the Palmetto. The other driver has only PIP and property damage coverage. That’s the legal minimum. Then they find out their own policy has no UM either. How is that allowed?
It’s allowed because Florida only requires PIP and property damage coverage. Most drivers don’t have to carry bodily injury liability coverage, and a lot of them skip it. When one of them causes a serious crash, the injured person may have few places to turn. That’s where uninsured motorist coverage Florida drivers can buy comes in.
UM is part of your own auto policy. It can pay for your injuries when the other driver has no bodily injury coverage, or too little. It may help in some hit-and-run cases too. Up to your limits, it can cover medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Florida’s permanent injury threshold can still apply to some damages.
Under section 627.727, insurers must offer UM. Turning it down takes a written, signed rejection. Plenty of people sign one without knowing what it means, often to lower a premium. So the uninsured motorist coverage Florida drivers turn down can matter a lot later. If you’re not sure what you signed, pull your policy and look this week. Some policies also let you stack UM across more than one car, which can mean higher limits.
One thing that surprises people: in a UM claim, your own insurer is on the other side. Getting legal advice before you give them a recorded statement is usually wise.
This post was written by a professional at Padron & Lopez-Trigo, P.A., a personal injury and wrongful death law firm serving South Florida. If you need a personal injury attorney Coral Gables, our team can help.
General information about Florida law, not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this article.
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