About Insurance Laws
In the state of Florida, especially the active city of Winter Park, car accidents occur everyday and accident victims, particularly those who do not have uninsured motorist coverage, may need a lawyer to help them receive compensation to pay their medical bills. Uninsured motorist coverage is one of the most important types of insurance you can have, especially in Florida, where it will protect you in the event of a hit and run accident, as well as a traffic collision involving an underinsured motorist. However, for those who do not have uninsured motorist coverage and are injured in a car accident in Central Florida, retaining Winter PArk car accident lawyer Richard Troutman may be in your best interest.
- Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law
In an attempt to reduce the number of lawsuits filed each year, Florida implemented a no-fault insurance law. This law requires motorists to carry $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, as well as $10,000 in property damage liability. With PIP insurance, a motorist injured in a car accident will not have to hire a lawyer to retrieve money for medical expenses or disability. Instead, a motorist injured in an auto accident in Orlando or other area of Florida will be reimbursed by their own insurance company for medical bills, disability, or death expenses related to the accident, regardless of who was at fault. While the number of auto accident lawsuits filed in Florida is reduced through the no-fault law, an individual may still file a lawsuit against a negligent driver.
While motorists are required to carry PIP and property damage liability to cover themselves and any property that is harmed in the event of an accident, they are not required to carry bodily injury liability insurance to cover the injuries of the other drivers involved. Over 50 percent of drivers are underinsured when it comes to covering the injuries of another driver involved in an accident. This is typically not a problem since most drivers have PIP insurance to cover their own injuries. However, motorcyclists and individuals visiting Florida, who are not required to have PIP coverage, are at risk.
Motorcyclists involved in an accident with a driver carrying PIP coverage are automatically eligible to receive compensation for pain and suffering, whether or not they sustained a permanent injury, whereas motorists must prove that their injuries are permanent. However, motorcyclists are not able to receive compensation for medical bills or disability unless the driver involved was carrying bodily injury insurance. For this reason, it is especially important for motorcyclists and those traveling through the state of Florida to carry what is called uninsured motorist coverage.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage is one of the most important types of auto insurance you can buy, as it will allow you to receive compensation for the medical and disability expenses of both you and the passengers riding in your vehicle when the car accident occurs. This way, you are guaranteed coverage whether the driver of the other vehicle is insured or not.
If you own one or more vehicles, Orlando car accident lawyer Richard Troutman recommends that you invest in stackable insurance, which will allow you to provide uninsured motorist coverage for all your vehicles. For example, if your coverage for one vehicle covers $25,000 and you have stackable insurance that covers three vehicles, then you should have $75,000 in uninsured motorist coverage under which to make a claim. Considering how many Florida drivers are uninsured, it is likely that if you are involved in an accident the uninsured motorist coverage can easily pay for itself.
Uninsured motorist coverage can also protect you in Florida if you are the unfortunate victim of a hit and run accident. If a driver hits you or your vehicle, but does not stop to exchange information, this is called a hit and run. Without proper insurance coverage, a hit and run accident can cost you money out of your own pocket to pay for any medical expenses and repair property damage. For more information on uninsured motorist coverage and how it can help you in the event of a car accident, speak with a lawyer in Orlando or the Central Florida area today.
For more information regarding auto insurance options for Florida residents, or for a review of your Orlando hit and run or car accident claim, contact a lawyer at The Troutman Law Firm in Orlando today.