Required Florida Auto Insurance

Florida is one of many states that require all vehicle owners to maintain financial responsibility in the event of an accident. This means that in order to register a vehicle with four wheels or more a motorist must have automobile insurance. Furthermore, proof of coverage must be kept with the vehicle owner throughout the duration of the registration, and failure to do so could result in a fine that increase each time a motorist is caught without the proper policy documentation. The state requirements for coverage are fairly low in comparison to others. The Sunshine State only requires that residents carry a policy with $10,000 for property damage liability (PDL) and $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP).

These numbers are fairly basic, but motorists are strongly encouraged to consider increasing these minimum requirements and even contemplate getting additional forms of coverage as well. With only the minimum amount of coverage a motorist may be vulnerable in the event of an accident. If a motorist causes extensive damages to another automobile that exceeds $10,000 then the policyholder would be forced to pay the remaining costs out of pocket. Additionally state laws dictate that if a person is unable to pay for damages or is caught uninsured, then they must purchase additional Florida auto insurance which includes $20,000 bodily injury liability (BIL). In this instance it may be better to raise limits to an affordable level voluntarily rather than have the state require additional coverage as a consequence for being underinsured.

Increasing FL Car Insurance

Increasing one’s limits is an excellent way to improve the amount of coverage on a car, and also leads to greater peace of mind when traversing the open roads. The Florida Automobile Insurance Guide recommends that residents consider adding various forms of optional coverage. Two of these recommended options are uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) protection and medical payment coverage. The first of which insures a motorist against damages sustained from an accident with an individual who has either no policy of their own or does not have enough coverage to pay for all of the damages. Should such an accident occur one’s UM coverage would take effect and pay the remainder of the costs. Medical payment coverage pays for the policyholder’s medical expenses that are a result of an automobile accident. Included in this addition are the medical expenses of one’s family members or passengers, regardless of who is at fault for the accident, and this coverage also applies if the insured is in another person’s vehicle.

Increasing one’s limits or adding additional coverage, however, is not always voluntary. For motorists who are found guilty of driving under the influence must carry even greater amounts of coverage. This includes increasing one’s liability to $100,000 for one person who may be injured or killed in a single accident, $300,000 for two persons or more, and $50,000 property damage liability. This extra coverage must then be maintained for at least three years, and is unlikely to be lifted if the motorist in question is unable to keep a clean driving record the entire duration. Increasing the amount of coverage on a policy is strongly encouraged in the Sunshine State. Doing so allows for greater amounts of protection in the event of an accident, and helps to decrease the likelihood of the state requiring increased coverage as a consequence of being underinsured.

Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/florida/