Do you have uninsured motorist insurance? Do you know what it is? In Florida, Uninsured Motorist Coverage is an optional coverage you can purchase on your 
own auto insurance policy. … UM pays you for injuries caused by an auto accident where the at-fault driver is uninsured (has no insurance) or under-insured driver (not enough insurance). Should I get get this insurance? One question I would ask myself is – what would be the effect on my finances if I were hit by an uninsured motorist?
Florida law does not require bodily injury insurance coverage. That means that many people are driving around the state with no insurance. If someone rear ends you, and even though they might have “full coverage” they may not have the optional bodily injury insurance, and their insurance may not compensate you for your injuries. These people are considered “UIM” or underinsured motorists.
Florida motorists should always purchase UM coverage if possible because, not only are they more likely to become involved in an accident than residents of many other states, the likelihood that the other driver in any accident does not carry insurance or enough insurance is much higher than in virtually any other state. Purchasing UM coverage will ensure that Florida motorists who are involved in an accident with a driver on a Florida roadway who either carries no insurance or is underinsured will be able to recover the full costs of their accident. It will provide peace of mind and help ensure that they are not bankrupted by an accident caused by someone who made the callous decision to not only drive negligently, but also not to carry sufficient (or any) insurance.
Florida has one of the highest populations of uninsured motorists of any state. According to a 2014 study by the Insurance Research Council, an insurance industry funded research organization, in 2012 Florida had more than 3,200,000 motorists not carrying insurance or carrying insurance in an insufficient amount. This made Florida second in the nation behind only California in terms of the absolute number of uninsured and underinsured drivers, a state with a much larger population than Florida.
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