The latest data from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) places Florida among the top five states nationwide in terms of uninsured motorist rates. Only Mississippi and New Mexico had marginally higher rates than Florida’s 24 percent, more than five times the rate of the lowest states.
Nationwide, drivers who are involved in a car accident have about a one in seven chance that the other driver carries no insurance to protect against liability for personal injuries and property damage. In Florida, which averages well over 600 car crashes every day, the chance is one in four that the driver who caused the wreck does not have an automobile policy.
IRC has pointed out the relationship between the recent economic downturn and the rate of uninsured motorists. But to a person who suffers serious injury due to another driver’s negligence, the only important factor is finding sufficient compensation to pay for lost wages, medical bills and other damages.
The most important advice any automobile owner can receive is to acquire optional uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. Such a policy can provide vital additional coverage beyond the $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) that is mandatory for all Florida auto policies.
Just as important, Florida car accident lawyers can help clients review the evidence to assess whether other parties may also be at fault. The presence of a third driver whose reckless actions caused the accident, a defective or poorly designed automobile component, or other negligence that might not be immediately obvious to an injury victim can make a huge difference in the outcome of accident litigation.
Posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, September 22, 2011.
