Laws in Florida require that have insurance in order to operate a vehicle. Under the No-Fault Law, Florida vehicle owners
are required to carry the minimum amounts of $10,000 for property damage liability (PDL) and $10,000 for personal injury protection (PIP). In case you are ever involved in an accident that causes any degree of bodily harm to others, your required coverage will also include Bodily Injury (BI) coverage of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident (see penalties in an accident section). You must have coverage in place before you obtain your registration and license plates, and you must continue to carry it throughout the registration period. Driving without insurance is illegal in most states. You could face penalties such as fines, loss of your driver’s license and car registration, and even jail time, depending on the state.
There are two possible problems. You could cause and accident when your insurance was not in effect, or you could have an accident when the other driver did not have insurance.
If you don’t have insurance and you cause an accident, the insurance company representing the other driver is going to come after you. You will be expected to pay any damages personally and the insurance company will sue you. If they successfully get a judgement against you, they could confiscate some of your possessions and garnishee your wages.
If the other driver does not have insurance, in a no fault state, your insurance company will compensate you for damages, but you may not get as big a settlement if the other driver is not insured. If you have an accident, before you even talk to the other driver, take out your cell phone and take as many pictures as you can, starting with the license plate of the other car, the other car, the driver and the accident scene. After that, Exchange information with the other driver and get as much information as you can. And then, let your insurance company take it from there.
Robin Nightingale focuses her practice as a personal injury attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area.
For more information, visit our website at www.ClearwaterPersonalInjuryAttorney.net
or call (727) 210-8800