Across the United States, chances are roughly one in seven that a driver is uninsured, according to new estimates from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). The estimated percentage of uninsured motorists declined four straight years before rising to more than 14 percent in 2008. The struggling economy, many believe, is a major factor in the increase.
“This forces responsible drivers who carry insurance to bear the burden of paying for injuries caused by drivers who carry no insurance at all,” said Elizabeth A. Sprinkel with the Insurance Research Council (IRC).
Our Naples car accident lawyers understand that insure.com reports that about a quarter of all drivers in the state of Florida are uninsured. We were actually ranked in the top three areas in the nation for having the most uninsured drivers. Unfortunately, bodily injury coverage is not required by Florida law to obtain or renew license tags. As a result, uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage is an extremely important coverage to carry on your own auto policy.
Uninsured motorist coverage is important when you or someone in your vehicle is injured in an accident that was caused by a driver who doesn’t have any bodily injury liability insurance coverage, or insufficient bodily injury liability coverage. Your uninsured-motorist coverage covers the following expenses: medical expenses and lost wages not fully paid by your no fault coverage, future medical expenses and future wage losses, and non-economic damages such as disability, pain and suffering, and the loss of ability to enjoy life. Also, this coverage ‘travels’ with you, providing protection for these losses even if you are not in your own insured vehicle.
Insurance agents may tell you that you do not need uninsured motorist coverage, or that you do not need much of it. The insurance company may want you to have less uninsured motorist coverage in order to avoid payouts. It is more likely that a careful driver will be a victim of a bad driver.
We cannot tell you enough how important it is to have as much uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance coverage as you can afford. In a lot of cases, it is tough to tell from your coverage information page whether or not you have stacked or unstacked uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If you ever deal with an agent who suggests you save money by cutting your coverage, you might want to check out another insurance agent as soon as you can!
In all automobile accident cases it is essential that measures be taken to promptly preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other professionals to thoroughly evaluate any injures.
“Uninsured drivers create risks for themselves and for all drivers, and that means purchasing just the minimum amount of required coverage may not be enough,” said Lynne McChristian, Florida representative for the Insurance Information Institute.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured. Call for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
Tired Drivers Increase Southwest Florida Traffic Accident Risks , Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, November 15, 2013
Keeping Teen Drivers Alive with “5 to Drive”, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, November 6, 2013