Bicyclist Should Have This Kind of Auto Insurance

You may be surprised to know that your auto insurance coverage in Florida protects you when you are riding your bicycle. Auto insurance will typically cover people that are riding their bikes in a motor vehicle accident. When a cyclist is injured by a motorist, they can draw from an auto insurance policy treating the bike just as any other vehicle. Florida law extends personal injury protection (PIP) benefits to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Will You Need Auto Insurance to Cover You While Riding a Bike or Walking?

Even if you aren’t a regular driver, if you’re hit by a motorist and you don’t carry insurance, the drivers insurance may cover you for part of the damages that were incurred during the accident. However, there are many instances where you could be hit by a driver that carries absolutely zero insurance whatsoever. If the at-fault driver for the accident does not carry any type of insurance, you could be left trying to sort out the damage and medical bills on your own if you don’t carry the right insurance coverage. Around 14% of motorists across the state of Florida do not carry any type of insurance coverage, and this means that you could be taking a risk every time that you get on a bike.

A hit and run accident often happens in cases where a driver does not have any type of insurance. This means that the driver that caused the accident will leave this scene, and it can be extremely difficult for a person to recoup any type of damages or compensation for the case. Some drivers also carry very minimal insurance policies. This means that if they get into an accident, they’ll only be responsible for paying out a minimum payment. The $10,000 in personal injury protection benefits does not go very far when you’re recovering from a cycling accident. It can be very easy to go through this coverage quickly, especially if you have been in a serious accident.

If the motorist that hits you has no insurance or too little insurance coverage to protect you from injuries, you can protect yourself by purchasing uninsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy. In that case, your auto insurance policy may pay out for your injuries if the at fault driver is unable to pay with their own insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage is not a mandatory aspect of insurance, and you may need to request it as part of your insurance policy. Asking for this type of insurance coverage could be an excellent way to make sure that you can be prepared in the worst case scenario.

If you have not looked into your insurance policy for some time or an agent did not explain this type of coverage for your insurance policy, you should contact your insurance agent immediately and ask about adding uninsured motorist coverage. For a small cost each month, you can make sure that you can be well protected in the event of a serious problem with an accident involving an underinsured driver.

If you have been injured in an accident with a driver that carried very little insurance coverage, it is also important that you seek the right legal representation. Contact our staff today and we can provide you with a wealth of advice regarding your level of insurance coverage as an underinsured driver!

Blog