Miami Personal Injury Attorney Blog
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM coverage) is additional car insurance that pays for medical bills, car damages, and expenses when you have been in an auto accident. Uninsured coverage applies when the auto accident has been caused by a driver who doesn’t have car insurance, a driver whose insurance denies your claim, or a hit-and-run driver. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when the driver’s insurance doesn’t cover to pay for medical bills, car damages, and expenses.
In Florida, the state law doesn’t require you to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; however, having it in your insurance has its benefits. The minimum coverage is 10/20; this means that you should have liability limits of $10,000 for injuries in a person and $20,000 for injuries in an accident.
If you are hit by an uninsured driver and have UM/UIM coverage, your PIP benefits will take effect first, followed by your uninsured motorist policy, presuming you have acquired enough of this insurance to meet the expenses of the accident. If you do not have UM/UIM coverage, you may be required to pay out of pocket for the costs of an accident caused by an uninsured motorist that is not covered by your PIP. As a result, as personal injury attorneys, we advise all drivers to purchase UM/UIM coverage in the highest amount permitted to protect themselves against a potential eventuality.