In Florida, full coverage has different meanings for different people, $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL), which is only the minimum they offer that is required by law. However, as a no-fault state, the requirements for Florida drivers are a bit different from other states. PIP coverage will protect you if you get hurt as a pedestrian, passenger in someone else’s vehicle, or if you are a bicyclist. Also, any vehicle with a current Florida registration registered as a taxi must carry bodily injury coverage of $125,000 per person, $250,000 per occurrence, and $50,00 for property damage liability. If you have the two types of mandatory coverage in Florida, then according to the state you have “full coverage”.
Bodily Injury liability coverage is not required, instead, they rely on personal injury protection. Bodily Injury Liability covers the death or serious permanent injury to the other party when you are legally liable for the injuries and damage that was caused. If you do not have bodily injury liability, then you are putting your personal assets in serious jeopardy if you are the result of the accident that causes injuries to others. However, this may change if you received certain traffic citations or caused an accident that resulted in injuries or death of another or if you were convicted of driving under the influence as of 10/1/2007. Being that Florida is a no-fault state, that means regardless of who is at fault your own personal injury protection insurance will have to step up to provide coverage up to the policy limits. Personal Injury Protection coverage only pays 80% of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses as a result of your injury regardless of who is at fault for the accident. This includes surgical, x-ray, dental and rehab services, ambulance, hospital, and nursing services. The payment process is based on the fact an individual receives services and care within the required 14-days after the motor vehicle accident. PIP also pays 60% of work loss and a $5,000 death benefit. The $5,000 death benefit is an additional amount of insurance.
Bodily Injury covers the medical expenses of those that were injured in an accident that was caused by you. What is liability coverage in Florida? If you are the cause of an accident, liability insurance covers those injured who have suffered damages. Liability Insurance never covers your injuries or damages to your property., it is only used to pay the other driver. State-mandated car insurance limits vary, the limit is simply the lowest amount of coverage that you can carry and still be legal here. It is important to adhere to Florida’s car insurance requirements. After being involved in an accident, the parties involved must present proof of insurance to the responding authority. If you fail to maintain active personal injury protection and property damage liability insurance on your vehicle then you will be held accountable and be charged with a nonmoving traffic infraction and have your driver's license suspended; this may be waived if you are able to provide active insurance within 24 hours of the accident. If you knowingly provide a law enforcement officer with your insurance information expired, you will be charged with the first-degree misdemeanor which will result in fines and possibly some jail time.
Being that the car insurance minimums in Florida are quite low, it is highly recommended that drivers obtain coverage that is above that state-required limits, in the long run, it will save you from having to pay any extra out of pocket expenses if you are involved in an accident. This could happen if you are seriously injured by a driver with no bodily injury liability, you will be burdened with the damages and the out of pocket payments that will follow. There is optional car insurance coverage in Florida, great add ons to your insurance policy,
Comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. Collision coverage pays for the damages that were caused by crashing into another vehicle or object or another vehicle crashing into you. On the other hand, Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle that was caused by things other than collisions such as Theft, vandalism, fire, flood, or a natural disaster. Although, you may be able to purchase comprehensive coverage without collision. In the state of Florida, low minimum coverage limits may not cover all costs, this can leave you at risk and have you cover the rest of the expenses out of pocket.
Uninsured/Underinsured coverage is not required in the state of Florida but is common coverage that is available. UM, coverage will pay you for an accidental bodily injury, sickness or disease including death when such an injury is the result of an automobile accident and the at-fault party does not have bodily injury coverage, or with sufficient limits. Unlike PIP benefits, UM benefits are paid as a lump sum once your treatment has been determined.
Another common coverage in the state of Florida is Medical Payments coverage, it will pay for reasonable expenses for the necessary medical/funeral expenses in an accident regardless of who is at fault, very similar to PIP.
Rental Reimbursement will provide you replacement transportation up to a specified limit shown on the policy. It is applied if your vehicle is not working, or unsafe to operate following a covered loss. Some insurance companies will pay the rental vehicle provider directly, others require that their insured pay the rental cost out of pocket and then will submit receipts for reimbursements.
Two important Florida car insurance laws to be aware of is the Financial Responsibility Law and No-Fault Law. The Financial Responsibility Law requires that certain drivers are to carry full liability auto insurance due to their driving history. These drivers that are included are those at fault for past accidents resulting in an injury to others, those who have received excessive points against their license, and a DUI due to serious and or repeated offenses. Being a no-fault state just means that the drivers involved in an accident must rely on their own car insurance providers to pay for the subsequent costs.