Uninsured Motorist Statistics

The rate of uninsured motorists across Florida is on the rise according to some of the latest data that is available. The number of uninsured drivers across the United States is also rising with it. Around 13% of drivers in the United States do not currently hold an insurance policy. Even though car insurance is a fundamental requirement for vehicle registration, uninsured drivers in the US are often letting their policies lapse. Here are some Uninsured Motorist Statistics.

Florida has one of the largest rates of uninsured drivers at 26.7% of drivers currently driving without any type of insurance policy. Maine is one of the safest states for uninsured drivers with only 4.5% of the population driving without insurance.

To combat this issue, many Florida insurance companies are offering additional coverage that can protect your family in the event that you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver.

Rates On The Rise

The number of uninsured drivers has not been massively affected since the year 2003. It seems as though there are many drivers across the United States that are quite willing to continue driving without insurance. Based off of accident studies, the ratio of bodily injury insurance claims to uninsured motorist claims sits at around 13% of the total since 2003.

Driving in Florida is significantly more risky than other parts of the country due to the higher rates of uninsured or underinsured motorists. Auto insurance coverage requirements in Florida are also considerably lower than in other areas of the country. Because basic coverage can include no-fault insurance or PIP benefits, you could be involved in an accident where a maximum you could receive through traditional insurance would be around $10,000.

Florida only requires this minimum of $10,000 for personal injury protection but this will rarely cover the total expenses that are required for a serious accident. PIP requirements are rarely helpful in an auto accident that involves multiple victims as well. PIP benefits work very similarly to health insurance and they often payout almost immediately after an accident. PIP was never designed to work as liability coverage, and it is not paid out to injured third parties. If you’re the victim in a car accident and the person at fault only has the PIP coverage, they will receive compensation for their own injuries, and you will likely not be compensated for any of your injuries through their insurance policy.

With 25% of the population of Florida carrying no insurance and a large number of drivers carrying just the minimum amount of insurance, the chance for compensation after an accident in Florida often comes out of your own insurance policy. Do not expect to come away with any type of compensation from an at-fault driver.

Repercussions For Uninsured Drivers

Driving with basic coverage or without insurance does come with its consequences. Most of the consequences and Florida are not too severe and most of them do not act as a direct benefit to the victim of a car accident. Uninsured drivers have the potential to lose their license. They may have to pay fines and penalties but none of this competition goes directly to the accident victim. The only way for an accident victim to access funds for their medical bills or to fix their vehicle comes with the chance to sue an underinsured motorist in court.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit or seeking compensation for an accident in a court of law is often not recommended as many of the drivers that carry zero insurance policies or the minimum insurance policy often do not have the financial resources to pay any judgment entered against them.

Using Uninsured Motorist Insurance

To properly protect yourself while driving in Florida, it is important to consider uninsured motorist insurance. Most reputable auto insurance carriers sell this level of insurance that will provide you with compensation for your injuries as well as damages if you are involved in an accident with an at-fault driver that does not have appropriate insurance coverage.

Added insurance coverage will essentially work as a buffer for the uninsured or at-fault driver’s compensation. This means that you will get access to funds that are owed to you to handle medical costs as well as damages associated with the accident. With the cost for medicine across Florida rising, we would highly recommend receiving at least $100,000 of uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to make sure that you can be covered for a hospital stay.

Your insurance company will be responsible for paying out underinsured motorist damages to you. If you are involved in an underinsured motorist claim it’s important to seek legal counsel to manage your case so that you can receive maximum compensation. Contact our staff today if you need an experienced car accident attorney in Florida.

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