Florida Auto Insurance Explained.
By Francis William.
When it comes to owning and operating a motor vehicle, the most important thing for any driver to understand are the car insurance requirements of the particular state in which they live. Every state in the nation has some sort of auto insurance requirement, with Florida being no different.
Florida auto insurance requirements fall into two laws, the Florida financial responsibility law and the no-fault law. Each law is unique and works off the other, and Florida residents who own and operate motor vehicles are expected to know and comply with these laws.
The Florida financial responsibility law states that drivers are required to carry a minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection, or PIP, and $10,000 in property damage liability, or PDL. PIP covers medical expenses incurred due to an auto accident, while PDL covers damages to personal property, namely vehicles involved in an accident. The purpose of this law is to insure that all drivers carry Florida auto insurance, which is necessary when considering the no-fault law.
Florida follows a no-fault system, meaning that a motorist’s insurance company is required to cover damage incurred during a car accident, regardless of who was at fault. This law helps explain the financial responsibility law; if you are involved in a wreck that wasn’t your fault, your insurance company still has to cover bodily injury damages and personal property damages.
The Florida financial responsibility law works with the no-fault law to make sure that all drivers carry insurance. Knowing that you will have to pay for the damages, even if you didn’t cause the wreck, discourages drivers from not carrying insurance with the idea that they are safe drivers, and won’t cause a wreck.
These laws are also used to protect motorists; in states without no-faults systems, auto insurance companies may refuse to pay for damages incurred during a vehicle accident, stating that the “at-fault” driver’s auto insurance must pay the damages.
Requiring minimum Florida auto insurance attempts to insure that all drivers involved in an accident will have adequate coverage, no matter who was at fault. Of course, not all drivers obey the financial responsibility law, making additional coverage valuable.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, while not required by the state of Florida, is a valuable additional type of coverage to carry. These types of policies provide additional coverage above and beyond the minimum Florida auto insurance requirements. In the event that you are injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, this type of protection covers additional medical expenses that the minimum requirements may not. This type of coverage is valuable, because while the no-fault law assures that your insurance company will cover damages caused by other drivers, not all motorists driving in Florida live in Florida.
If you are hit by a driver from a state that doesn’t follow a no-fault law, this coverage will assure that the damages are covered.
To summarize, the Florida financial responsiblity law and the no-fault law work together to insure that all drivers carry auto insurance, and that all drivers will be covered in the event of an accident.
franciswiliam@floridaautoinsurance247.org