In Florida, vehicle owners may be required to purchase two types of auto insurance. The first type of auto insurance is outlined in the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law Fla. Stat. § 627. 736. It requires every person who registers a vehicle in Florida to provide proof they have personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PD), with minimum limits of $10, 000 each. PIP covers injuries you and certain others may incur in an auto accident, regardless of fault. PD covers your liability if you damage property belonging to someone else in an auto accident. Examples might include another person's vehicle, a telephone pole or a building. Individuals who are in the State of Florida with their vehicle for more than 90 days in the last 365 days must carry these minimum limits of coverage. It is important to note that the 90 days do not need to be consecutive in order for the law to apply. The second type of auto insurance is outlined in the Florida Financial Responsibility Law.
Get Your Instant Florida Insurance Quote Here: What You Need To Know About Florida Auto Insurance Minimums If you have relocated to Florida from another state as most retirees tend to do, or if you have come to the fine State of Florida for other reasons like school or work, there are some things you need to know about Florida auto ins. that may be different that what you are used to. In other states like New Hampshire, there are certain guidelines that do not always make it necessary to have certain types of coverage at all, but not so in Florida. We put together some things you need to know to make sure you understand what is required so you are not out of compliance with regulations. What Is Required for Personal Injury Protection Aside from the usual collision coverage that protects you if you impact someone else's car and cause damage, there is also personal injury protection that needs to be considered so that if you or someone in the accident is injured, that you are protected from loss and you are not sued for damages.
This will also curtail any claims against you in court regarding damages to personal property. This line item on your policy also carries a regulation of a minimum of $10, 000 dollars for claims. It might seem like a lot but it is not. These kinds of expenses can add up very quickly. It is important to sift through with an agent what the statistical average of a personal property claim is so that you can consider what amount of coverage that you should have. Being covered now, means that you aren't sweating the details later, should you need to file a claim. What Is Required For Damage To Fixed Property For types of damage to property outside of personal property like a fence, mailbox or telephone pole, the State of Florida auto insurance regulations require you to carry a minimum of $500 dollars of Property Damage Liability coverage. This policy coverage will cover you in the state if you are driving someone else's car as long as you have coverage and in most cases it will be covered under your policy if you give someone else permission to drive your car and they cause damage to fixed property.
It is very important to remember initial treatment must be received within 14 days of the accident to be covered. A limit of $2, 500 applies to non-emergency medical treatment. If a medical doctor, an osteopath, a dentist, a physician's assistant or an advanced registered nurse practitioner determines that the claimant suffered from an "emergency medical condition, " reimbursement for all services and care is up to $10, 000, unless higher limits are purchased. Making a decision about the amount of coverage you should carry is a personal decision based on many factors. Discussing your coverage needs with a qualified insurance agent can help you better understand your options. It is important to remember that if an accident occurs, and the injuries sustained by another party are beyond the limits of your insurance policy and the injured party has a permanent injury, scarring, disfigurement or is killed, they or their beneficiary may pursue recovery from you through the court system.
Health insurance normally does not provide coverage for expenses you may incur if you or a covered family member must stay in a convalescent center. In some cases where an injury is severe, permanent or requires a longer recovery time, it can be very important for your quality of life and financial health to have coverage that will continue to pay for lost wages, replacement services that may be required like lawn maintenance or housekeeping, pain and suffering or modifications needed for your home or automobile due to your injuries such as a wheelchair ramp or a vehicle with special equipment. When purchasing UM, you must make two decisions. You must decide the limits you need and whether or not you want stacked or non-stacked coverage. All insurance companies are required to provide stacked UM with the same limits as your Bodily Injury coverage. Some insurance companies offer the option to purchase lower limits and/or non-stacked coverage. Stacked UM coverage means that the limit will increase by the number of vehicles you own, regardless of whether or not the vehicles are insured on the same policy.
This amount of money to cover damages is not very much at all. Talk to your agent about how much should be carried for adequate coverage and what the stipulations of coverage are. If You Have Had A Prior DUI? In the case of a driver who has never been convicted, Bodily Injury Liability coverage is not necessary. However, if you have had a prior conviction you must carry this coverage in the State of Florida for a period of 3 years after you have legally regained your driving privileges and had your license reinstated. There is also a minimum amount of coverage that you must have as well. If you received your conviction prior to or on the date of October 1, 2007 according to law you are required to have at least $10, 000 of coverage for each person and a minimum of $20, 000 total coverage per accident. Any convictions after the October date are required to carry a minimum of $100, 000 per person and $300, 000 in total coverage per accident. If you have had a DUI conviction in another state, it is important to be honest with your carrier about your prior history and make sure that you are following Florida guidelines properly and fully.
In other words, if you have stacked UM limits of 50/100 and own three vehicles, your actual coverage is multiplied times three or 150/300. If you elect non-stacked UM at 50/100, that is the maximum coverage available in an accident regardless of how many vehicles you own. Another important coverage difference between the stacked and non-stacked form is how the policy will respond if you are injured by an uninsured/underinsured motorist in a vehicle you own but do not have insured. In that case, only the stacked form would respond. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) You will often hear Florida referred to as a "No- Fault State. " This means that any time you are injured in an auto accident you will file the claim with your own insurance company, regardless of who is atfault. However, once an injured person pierces the tort threshold, they may seek recovery for costs not duplicated by PIP from the at-fault party. Standard PIP benefits required to be included on all Florida automobile policies include: 80 percent of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses incurred as a result of a covered injury, regardless of who caused the accident.
Bodily Injury Liability (BI) This coverage protects you for injuries or death to someone else that you are legally liable for after a motor vehicle accident. As the owner of a vehicle, anytime an accident occurs involving your insured vehicle (whether or not you are driving), the possibility exists that you may be held financially responsible for any damages. This coverage not only covers the actual loss incurred, it can also provide coverage for your defense if you are sued. When referring to BI limits of liability, the first number represents the maximum amount of coverage you have for each individual injured in a given accident and the second number is the maximum amount of coverage available to all injured persons in that accident. Property Damage Liability (PD) PD liability pays for damage to another person's property caused by you or someone else operating your insured vehicle. Most often this coverage will be used to repair the other automobile(s) involved in an accident with your insured vehicle.
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The State of FL regulations have their own requirements for minimum coverage that you need to be aware of. The absolute minimum coverage that you as the automobile owner can have is $10, 000 per person who is injured. In some cases, depending on what kind of coverage you buy, you can have personal injury protection deductibles of over $2, 000 so be sure you understand what needs to be covered and what kinds of policies you can obtain that will minimize your out-of-pocket expenses. Less coverage purchased may mean a lot more money out of your wallet in the event of claim. If you injure a pedestrian or a bicyclist, those types of accidents are covered under your personal injury coverage, you are also covered if someone commits a crime of bodily injury to you in the event of road rage or a car-jacking. Weigh the options in the right way by talking to a qualified agent before you make your final decisions. The Necessary Personal Property Protection You Need To Have Just like personal injury protection minimums, you need to have a certain amount of coverage for personal property.