Only Two Items Are Required In Auto Insurance For Florida?
There are only two aspects that every Florida auto insurance policy must include:
- $10,000 in PIP (Personal Injury Protection, aka “no fault” insurance)
- $10,000 in PDL (Property Damage Liability)
PIP- Personal Injury Protection
Your Personal Injury Protection will cover 80% of your medical expenses and 60% will lost wages, up to $10,000, following an accident regardless of who is found at fault. Most of the time, this amount is not enough to cover your total medical cost, which is why seeking an attorney that will work to get you sufficient compensation, is the best idea. It also important to note that if your providers do not consider your injury an emergency medical condition, you will only be entitled to receive $2,500 of your PIP coverage. In most cases, though, the injuries following an accident are considered to be emergency medical conditions.
PDL- Property Damage Liability
Unlike PIP, PDL only comes into play if you are found at fault for an accident. It only covers damage of the other driver’s personal vehicle, not medical expenses related to the injuries sustained. The $10,000 for PDL is only the minimum requirement; you are able to raise that by paying a higher premium.
Additional Coverage That Is Not Required, But Should Be Considered
If you choose to include a coverage called MedPay, or Medical Payments, in your insurance policy, you will be entitled to get more of your medical bills paid. For example, if you have $5,000 in MedPay and your total bill is $15,000, it will all be taken care of because $10,000 will be covered with PIP and the $5,000 from your MedPay. This benefits you because the settlement you get from the at-fault insurance company can go straight to you without having to pay off the medical bills first.
Bodily Injury Liability is another important plan to consider when shopping for an auto insurance policy. Purchasing BI coverage protects your assets if you are to be found at fault for an accident. It covers the expenses of the injured party that you hit so that they will not try to go after your assets if you were to not possess BI coverage. If someone else hits you, your attorney will go after his or her BI for compensation.
If you are in an accident and the negligent driver does not have BI coverage, or not enough BI coverage, you can use something called Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM) from your policy. Once PIP is used up and the at-fault party does not have BI, your UM coverage kicks in. Florida law requires insurance companies that offer BI to offer an equal amount of UM coverage for each policy.
Have You Been Injured In A Florida Car Accident?
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident you need to speak with an experienced Florida car
accident lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Coral Springs office directly at
954.755.7803 to schedule your free consultation. We proudly serve Florida residents including all of Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami-Dade
County, Broward County, Palm Beach County and all points in between.