Most people in Florida do not understand how their auto insurance works until it is too late. I don’t know whether it is the fault of the agents or the insurance companies, but someone is failing to inform customers about what their coverage really means. Insurance advertisements emphasize so much about saving money on premiums that some important coverages are frequently overlooked and not purchased by otherwise responsible people. It is only after someone has been injured in an accident due to no fault of their own that they often learn the hard truth that they are not protected.
During my initial meeting with accident victims, the usual response to my insurance question is “I have full coverage.” However, full coverage can mean different things. Wouldn’t you think that “full” coverage means that you have purchased every type of protection available? Unfortunately, that is not the case. In the auto insurance business in Florida, full coverage simply means that you have purchased the minimum coverage required by law. This minimum coverage is Personal Injury Protection (also called PIP) which pays up to 10k for lost wages and medical bills and Property Damage (also called PD) which covers damage to another person’s car up to 10k. That’s it.
Auto Accident Defense, Insurance Coverage Depending on a person’s agent, he/she may be responsible enough to suggest that customers also buy Bodily Injury (also called BI) which covers injuries to another person and Collision which covers damage to your vehicle. But what do you do if the driver who injured you thinks he has full coverage but never purchased Bodily Injury (BI)? If that happens, your only option is to look to your own policy. Unfortunately, the insurance industry is terrible about recommending Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage (also called UM) which pays for your damages if the at-fault driver either doesn’t have insurance. The coverage is actually not expensive at all, so there has to be a reason why people are not buying it.
With so many snowbirds, tourists, foreigners and irresponsible drivers on the roads in the Tampa Bay area, you would have to be crazy not to protect yourself from those types of drivers with the best coverage possible. But since your insurance agent and insurance company may not be doing their jobs in informing you about what full coverage really means and that some coverages such as those mentioned above are not automatically included, people are going to have to get informed on their own. This means calling the agent and adding important coverages to the policy. Hopefully, this article will save some car accident victims the pain of realizing that they are out of luck because both they and the other driver didn’t have enough or the correct insurance.
Contact an Auto Accident Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one have been involved in an auto accident, then you should take the proper measures to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas today and speak with an attorney. For over 60 years our firm has been successfully helping people who have been injured due to someone else’s carelessness. We have been nationally ranked for decades by US News and World Reports as a Tier 1 law firm, which is the highest ranking that can be received. Sean McQuaid and Jonathon Douglas have dedicated their careers to continuing the firms legacy of superior legal representation.
Remember that we never charge a fee, unless we win. Call us today at 727-381-2300 so that we may answer your questions, help you navigate the complexities of insurance claims, and recover the compensation that you deserve.
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St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas
5858 Central Ave suite a
St. Petersburg, FL 33707
(727) 381-2300
