According to recent statistics compiled by the Insurance Information Institute, nearly one in four Florida drivers (26%) are uninsured. Drivers are not required to carry bodily injury (BI) coverage. As a result, many drivers do not carry sufficient insurance to cover all the expenses from a severe accident. If you have been injured in a car accident and the other driver is either uninsured or underinsured, you need a lawyer who will explore every source of potential compensation to maximize your financial recovery.
Hancock Injury Attorneys has developed a strong record of achieving successful results for clients throughout Tampa and west-central Florida who have been injured in car accidents. Attorney Mike Hancock has more than 30 years of legal experience. Our car accident lawyers in Tampa have represented many individuals who have been injured in an accident by someone without sufficient insurance.
Ten Reasons to Carry Coverage
- Approximately 26% of drivers on the road in Florida are uninsured drivers. That’s more than one out of every four drivers.
- State law does not require drivers to carry bodily liability coverage. Meaning that drivers are not required to carry insurance which pays for the personal injuries (medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering if you have suffered a permanent injury) they cause to others. Ironically, the law does require, however, that drivers carry property damage coverage to pay for the property damage they cause to your car or other property.
- There is a very strong possibility that your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering incurred in an automobile accident caused by another person will not be paid if the person responsible for the accident did not carry bodily liability insurance and you did not carry UM coverage.
- State laws are historically very “debtor-friendly”. Meaning, that it is very difficult to execute a Judgment against an individual’s personal property. Unless the individual who has caused an accident has substantial personal assets, your claim for injuries is generally limited to any bodily liability insurance that the individual possesses or your own UM coverage.
- Your UM coverage protects you even if you are a passenger in another person’s vehicle. Or, if you are a pedestrian at the time of the accident.
- UM, coverage is not expensive. It can more than pay for itself if you have injuries caused by an uninsured driver. Contact your automobile insurance company for a quote.
- Your UM coverage can be “stacked”. This means that the limits of your policy are multiplied by the number of cars insured under your policy. For instance, if you carry $25,000.00 in UM coverage and insured three of your vehicles under your policy on the date of an accident, you should have a limit of $75,000 in UM coverage available. Make sure to ask your insurance company to “stack” your UM insurance.
- UM, coverage protects you when the auto accident it was a “hit and run”. Or, if the identity of the driver who caused the accident is otherwise unknown.
- Your UM coverage protects you, and usually also the passengers in your vehicle, at the time of the accident, such as your children.
- Your private health insurance only goes so far. If you have injuries by the fault of an uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist and even if your medical expenses are covered by your own private health insurance (which you may carry through your employer), if you are not covered by UM insurance, you will not be able to recover your lost wages and pain and suffering suffered in the crash.
Finding Every Source of Compensation for Your Injuries
After a car accident caused by someone without insurance, or with insufficient insurance, our law firm will take a close look at your own insurance policy. If you have uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, our law firm will make a claim against your own insurance company for your damages that arise out of your accident.
If you have UM/UIM coverage on more than one vehicle, it may be possible to “stack” the coverage. This would allow you to recover compensation from more than one insurance policy. This can be very advantageous in situations where you or a loved one has sustained severe injuries. You can rely on our law firm to fully explain your rights under your insurance policy.
Contact a Tampa Car Accident Lawyer:
Auto accident lawyer Mike Hancock has obtained verdicts and settlements of more than $1 million in motor vehicle accidents, but we welcome any case, big or small. Contact us today to schedule a consultation for your case.