When Do I Use Uninsured Motorist Insurance?

UM insurance will pay for expenses related to an accident with a driver who does not have insurance (uninsured) or does not have enough insurance (underinsured). It is easy to understand UM insurance if you understand how it differs from other types of insurances you may have on your auto policy:

• Property Damage Liability: helps your pay for damage to property if you cause an accident. Florida law requires property damage insurance, however, it is possible another driver allowed their policy to lapse or cancelled the policy.
• Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: helps you pay for injuries that occur because of an accident you caused. Florida law does not require that bodily injury liability coverage is purchased or carried. This mean that many Floridians are uninsured or underinsured when they harm other driver, passengers, and pedestrians.
• Personal Injury Protection: using PIP does not depend on who caused the accident and will provide coverage for expenses related to an accident. Florida law requires all drivers to carry PIP. PIP works like a mini health insurance policy. PIP coverage insurance will compensate your and your family for medical costs, lost wages, and other unexpected medical costs. Generally, PIP is limited to $10,000 in medical/disability benefits and $5,000 in death benefits.

It is not certain that all your expenses will be covered even if another driver has property damage and bodily injury insurance. Your own PIP policy may not cover all expenses related to unforeseen medical expenses, future loss of earnings of loss of future earning ability, or disability. If you have UM coverage, then you will be able to recover your medical expenses, lost wages and other non-economic losses. This means you can use your UM policy once the at-fault driver confirms there is no insurance, or that there is not enough insurance, to cover your expenses.

Contact an Attorney

Uninsured motorist coverage can help you ensure that you and your family are protected if you are injured in an accident with an uninsured, or underinsured, motorist. If you have been in an accident with an uninsured motorist or and you have questions about your uninsured motorist insurance, then you should contact the Miami attorneys at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. We can help you understand your insurance coverage and advise you on important next steps. Please contact us at 866-936-9761 to discuss your case.

Uninsured motorist insurance will pay permanent damages sustained if you are injured by an uninsured motorist. An uninsured motorist, as the name implies, is a driver who does not have any automobile insurance. Uninsured motorist insurance will also cover your damages when the at fault driver is underinsured, or does not have enough insurance. The following guide is meant to act as a primer on the topic of uninsured motorist insurance; of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.

Why Do I Need Uninsured Motorist Insurance?

Florida law requires drivers to have personal injury protection insurance, or PIP insurance, but does not require bodily injury insurance. This is why uninsured motorist coverage is important; if you get into an accident with someone who does not have insurance and you do not have uninsured motorist insurance, and you sustain permanent injuries or your damages are not fully covered by your PIP coverage, then there may not be any insurance to pay for your losses.

Stacked vs. Unstacked Uninsured Motorist Insurance

When you own more than one car and you have uninsured motorist insurance, you may be able to stack, or add up, the value of the policy coverages. If for example, you own two cars and have $50,000 worth of coverage on each car and you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist, then you will be able to receive up to $100,000 in recovery.

Stacked insurance follows you wherever you go. This means that if you are in an accident while driving a different car, as a passenger in someone else’s car, as a pedestrian, or while riding your bike, you are covered. Conversely, if you only carry unstacked uninsured motorist insurance, then you can only recover when you are in an accident in the insured car. So if you have purchased $50,000 in coverage, you may only be able to recover that amount after an accident.

Additionally, it is important to know, for both stacked and unstacked insurance, you must have uninsured motorist insurance on all cars in order to use it. This means that if you have an accident in the one car that does not have uninsured motorist coverage, then you will not be able to recover damages for the accident in that particular car.

Recover from Non Economic Damage

Uninsured motorist insurance is also important because it allows you to recover for the noneconomic and intangible damage you may suffer after an accident. Uninsured motorist insurance will allow you to recover for pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and mental anguish. You can also recover for other damages you cannot quantify, such as the added expense and frustration that may result from your injury.

Contact an Attorney

Recovering from an accident is difficult, and an uninsured driver will only complicate the recovery. Uninsured motorist insurance can help simplify the complexity.

If you have been in an accident with an uninsured driver and you are not certain of your coverage, you should contact the Miami attorneys at the firm of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. We can help you understand your coverage and help you start the process of submitting a personal injury claim. Please contact us today at 866-936-9761 to discuss your case.