How can Bodily Injury Liability and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage help me if I'm involved in a crash?

Car insurance is invaluable to avoid financial hardship after an accident. While the State of Florida requires minimum levels of insurance, these amounts are often far too low to compensate a victim for the full costs of an accident.

It pays to have as much auto coverage as you can afford, especially optional extras such as bodily injury liability or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Optional Insurance that Can Help After a Florida Car Accident

Florida law requires all drivers to carry two specific types of car insurance:

• A minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP)
• A minimum of $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL)

Under Florida’s no-fault system, PIP provides payment for any medical expenses or lost wages a policyholder incurs in an accident. PDL provides payment when a policyholder is responsible for damage to another person’s vehicle or property.

Unfortunately, $10,000 doesn't cover a lot when it comes to the effects of a car accident—and neither type of insurance protects a driver who causes injury to another person. However, optional coverages that can help pay bills after a crash include:

• Bodily injury liability (BIL). This coverage provides payment for injury or death expenses incurred when the policyholder causes an accident. If you're a driver and cause injury to another person, he or she will only be able to seek payment through the limits of your BIL policy.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. The no-fault insurance system works best if all drivers are insured. However, one in every four Florida drivers doesn't have car insurance, making them vulnerable in the event of a crash. An uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) policy is an extra insurance policy that compensates drivers if they're struck by an at-fault driver without coverage, or has too little coverage to pay the full cost of your injuries.

State laws don't require anyone to carry BI or UM coverage. But as you can see, these policies might make a big difference in the amount of compensation a driver receives after a crash.

If you're having trouble getting full compensation from an insurer, we can explain your options at no cost to you. Simply fill out the quick contact form on this page today to schedule your free case evaluation.