September 7, 2023

Picture this: you’re driving down Bayshore Boulevard, doing everything right, when another driver runs a light and slams into you. You’re hurt, your car is wrecked, and then you learn the driver who hit you has no insurance at all. In Florida, that nightmare is far more common than most people realize, and whether you walk away financially protected often comes down to one line on your own policy. Here’s why uninsured motorist coverage may be the most important coverage you can carry after a Tampa car accident. TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country, with an estimated one in five drivers carrying no insurance at all. Florida does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, so even an insured driver may have nothing to pay for the injuries they cause you. Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage steps in to pay your medical bills beyond PIP, your lost wages, and your pain and suffering. Under Florida Statute 627.727, your insurer must offer you UM coverage, and settling with the at-fault driver without your UM carrier’s consent can wipe out that coverage. UM even covers hit-and-run and phantom-vehicle crashes, and you generally have two years to file an injury claim under Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a). The Reyes Firm Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Tampa? Find out if your own coverage can pay your claim. Had a bad day? Contact Us Now 1 in 5 Florida drivers are uninsured Insurance Research Council $0 Bodily injury coverage Florida requires of drivers Florida law Must Offer Insurers must offer you UM coverage Fla. Stat. 627.727 2 Years To file an injury lawsuit Fla. Stat. 95.11(3)(a) Why is uninsured motorist coverage so important in Florida? Uninsured motorist coverage is so important in Florida because two facts collide on our roads: a large share of drivers carry no insurance, and state law does not require most drivers to carry coverage for the injuries they cause. An estimated one in five Florida drivers has no auto insurance at all, one of the highest rates in the nation according to the Insurance Research Council, and Tampa’s heavy traffic and steady stream of out-of-town drivers only raise the odds of being hit by one. Here is the part that surprises people most. Florida requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection and property damage coverage, but it does not require them to carry bodily injury liability coverage, which is the coverage that would pay for your medical bills and pain after a crash they caused. That means even a driver who is following the law may have nothing available to compensate you, and your own uninsured motorist coverage becomes your safety net. What is the difference between uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage? The two go hand in hand but apply in different situations. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage applies when the driver who hit you has no bodily injury liability insurance at all, or cannot be identified, as in a hit-and-run. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver does have liability insurance, but not enough to cover the full extent of your injuries. In Florida, the two are usually sold together as a single UM/UIM coverage, and both draw from your own policy. The practical point is the same in either case: when the other driver cannot make you whole, this coverage is what stands between you and paying for someone else’s mistake out of your own pocket. How does UM coverage fill the gap left by Florida’s no-fault system? Florida’s no-fault system gives you some protection, but not nearly enough for a serious injury. Your Personal Injury Protection coverage pays 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost wages, but only up to a standard limit of $10,000, and it pays nothing at all for pain and suffering. A trip to the emergency room and a single surgery can blow through that $10,000 in days. Uninsured motorist coverage picks up where PIP stops. It can pay your medical expenses beyond the PIP limit, your lost wages and reduced earning capacity, and your pain and suffering, and it protects not just you but the relatives in your household and the passengers in your car. It is especially vital for motorcycle riders, who are not covered by PIP at all and depend heavily on UM coverage when an uninsured driver hits them. 💡 Did You Know? Florida is a no-fault state that requires only $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in property damage coverage, and it does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability at all. With an estimated one in five Florida drivers uninsured, your own uninsured motorist coverage is often the only source that will pay for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Source: Insurance Research Council; Fla. Stat. § 627.736. Watch: Why you need uninsured motorist coverage in Tampa In this short video, attorney Edward Reyes explains how uninsured motorist coverage works and how it can protect you when the driver who hit you cannot pay. If you were hit by an uninsured driver, The Reyes Firm offers free consultations and can review your coverage at no cost. Does UM coverage protect you in a hit-and-run or no-contact crash? Yes, and this is one of its most valuable features. If a driver hits you and flees, or if a phantom vehicle runs you off the road without ever making contact, there may be no at-fault driver to identify and no liability insurance to pursue. Uninsured motorist coverage is built for exactly these situations and can pay for your injuries when the other driver vanishes. These claims do come with conditions, often including a requirement to corroborate that another vehicle caused the crash, which makes fast evidence-gathering critical. In the most tragic hit-and-run cases, where a family loses a loved one, UM coverage can also support a wrongful death claim when the driver is never found. ⚠️ Deadline