Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City & Inverness, Florida Accident Attorney and Alachua County DUI Lawyer Blogs

Floridians now is the time to protect yourself with adequate auto insurance coverage!

Recent news releases have stated that currently 23 percent of drivers on the road today in Florida have no auto insurance and are driving illegally. This frightening fact means that nearly one in four of the drivers you encounter on the road today, has no insurance at all, a number that is predicted to only go up due to the current economic conditions.

To legally operate a vehicle in Florida a person is required to show proof of auto insurance only in the amount of $10,000 of PIP (Personal Injury Protection) and $10,000 of property damage liability. That is it, nothing more is required to legally get behind the wheel and drive in Florida.  In addition, if a person is found to be driving without insurance, the Department of Motor Vehicles can suspend their license, for up to three years or until proof of Florida insurance is provided, whichever comes first.  There is also a reinstatement fee of $150 up to $500, for subsequent violations, once proof of insurance is shown.   For more information on insurance laws and penalties you can visit this site, http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/frfaqgen.html#2 .

Not only is this required insurance too minimal for adequate protection, the penalties are far too minimal as well!

As an expereinced accident attorney (personal injury lawyer) in located in Gainesville, Florida for 38 years, I have seen the life changing consequences that accidents can have, and the devastation that occurs when there is no money to pay for a person's medical care, property damage and lost wages because the at-fault person had none or just the minimum required insurance and they themselves were not protected with adequate insurance.   

We now know that nearly 25% of all drivers on the road in Florida have no insurance, in addition to this 25% there is another large percentage that only has the State required, minimal insurance or are under insured.  What does this mean if you are seriously injured in an accident and had not protected yourself with adequate insurance?  Chances are that the money to pay for your medical bills, car repair or replacement will most likely have to come out of your own pocket, and your lost wages will not be recovered; in short, most likely you will be out of luck! 

As an example, if you obeyed the law and purchased only the required minimal insurance, thinking you had full protection, and your car was totaled in an accident and the person at fault that hit you was not insured at all, the price for a new car will likely come out of your pocket. This is because; the required $10,000 of property damage liability insurance that you have only covers the other person's car (not your own) if you cause an accident. Plus, if you were seriously injured in the accident, your $10,000 of PIP could easily be used up before you get out of the emergency room.  Remember, even if you have medical insurance, you could still get stuck with thousands of dollars of out of pocket medical expenses with no income coming in and no reimbursement for your damaged vehicle.     

Now more than ever, I strongly urge everyone in Florida to take heed and protect themselves and purchase adequate insurance from a reputable insurance company.  To start, I suggest that you read my recommendations for adequate insurance coverage.  With 23% of drivers in Florida uninsured, and many others with just the minimal required insurance, this is the time for everyone to pull out their insurance policy and make sure they have uninsured motorist coverage, (among other coverages) to protect themselves and their family in the event of an accident.   This is a topic I cannot stress enough! People are shocked when they find out that they are going to have to pay tens of thousands of dollars or more for someone else's mistake when they were obeying the law and were covered with the required insurance. 

In light of the latest statistics, I believe it is time for the State of Florida to do more to protect its citizens and visitors and in the least, toughen up the penalties for driving illegally without insurance.  Additionally, I believe Florida law makers should revisit the minimum insurance requirements so drivers and the taxpaying public are better protected.