Do you own a vehicle?  Do you have enough insurance?  Wait. Don’t tell me, you have “full coverage” right?

The problem with automobile insurance in Florida is that full coverage means different things to different people.  Are you the type of person that does not want to pay a lot for insurance and is willing to get by with the bare minimum, or are you the type of person that wants to pay more for optional coverages?  The fact is that so many of the important insurance coverages in the State of Florida are optional that you can technically be fully covered in the eyes of the law, yet completely unprotected!

Florida law requires that you carry two types of coverage on your motor vehicle policy.  They are Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage.  (Explain both.)  On the other hand, there are a variety of optional insurance coverage that are there to protect you and your family, but will obviously add to your premium.  Despite the additional cost, I strongly recommend that you look into the following types of coverage.

Medical payments coverage bridges the gap that the PIP leaves.  Bodily Injury is there to protect your assets in the event you cause injury to another person.  Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage exists to protect you and your loved ones from injury caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver.  Given the fact that Florida law technically allows every driver on the road to be uninsured, this is probably the most important coverage you can buy.  Although you must carry BI coverage in order to qualify for UM coverage, the price increase on your policy might surprise you, in a good way.  You can buy a significant amount of coverage for a small amount of money.  Contact your insurance agent and ask for a detailed explanation of these different forms of coverage to protect others and yourself.

I’m attorney Jeff Vastola and now you…Know Your Rights.