What Drivers Need to Know About Florida Auto Insurance Coverage

Florida Auto Accident Attorney Mariano Garcia of Searcy Denney Discusses Auto Insurance Policies and Myths Regarding Full Coverage

Today we are going to talk about something all drivers are required to have but it may be one of the most misunderstood purchases they make: auto insurance.

With us today is Mariano Garcia, from the law firm of Searcy Denney. Mariano, would you say consumers generally don't have a good understanding about the auto insurance coverage they need?

Unfortunately, in my experience, they don't. Seeing folks after they've been involved in a motor vehicle collision of some type, one of the things we evaluate is what types of coverages do they have. When we begin to ask questions, sometimes we quickly find out that folks really don't understand what are all of the available coverages that come into play.

So, what is it that they need to understand?

Well, they need to understand that when they're buying insurance, they can't just focus on buying the cheapest policy available. They can't focus on just the price. They need to learn about the different coverages that are available above and beyond the very minimum coverages that the state of Florida requires.

So, what does the state of Florida require?

The state of Florida requires very minimum insurance and they consist of two coverage. Coverage one is Property Damage Coverage. That's going to cover you or me if we cause an accident and cause property damage to someone else. If we get sued, we have coverage that will protect us if we cause damage to someone else's property.

The second coverage the state requires is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and that's going to provide medical benefits to us; it will allow us to get into a hospital if we require emergency medical care, or, it will also provide us with lost wage benefits. But, that's only to protect us, not someone else that might be injured in the accident.

So what other factors should they consider?

They need to understand that there are other coverages available, such as Bodily Injury Coverage. If you cause an accident and hurt somebody, you need coverage that's going to protect you for the injuries that you caused to another individual. Bodily Injury Coverage will provide that.

If your vehicle is damaged in a collision, you need to have Collision Coverage that will cover repairs to your car and maybe even provide a rental car for you while your vehicle is being repaired.

And what other types of coverage is available, and why would you consider it?

Another important coverage folks should consider is Uninsured or Under-Insured Motorist Coverage. If we're involved in an accident and are hurt, that coverage will provide benefits to us if the individual who caused the collision and caused our injuries either doesn't have sufficient coverage or no coverage at all.

I've heard of this thing called Stacking Coverage. What exactly does that mean?

Stacking Coverage is another variable of coverage that may come into play if you have multiple vehicles in your household. For an additional cost, you may be able to essentially stack, or add up all the coverage available to each of your vehicles in order to maximize the amount of coverage available to you.

I've heard people say they're not worried about having an accident because they have Full Coverage Insurance. Why might this be a false sense of security and what exactly does Full Coverage mean?

I hear the term "Full Coverage" a lot when I'm talking to clients and usually when they're involved in an accident and we ask them, "Well, what kind of insurance do you have? What coverages do you have available to you?" They say, "Well, I'm not worried, I have Full Coverage."

And that's why I say it's not until they have a copy of their policy and they look at it that they fully understand that Full Coverage is really an urban myth. Full Coverage may turn out to be just the minimum amount of coverage that the state of Florida requires.

So what advice do you have for consumers who are looking to purchase auto insurance?

Have a frank discussion with your insurance agent so they understand your personal situation and can tailor a policy that is designed to protect you in the unfortunate event of a collision.

Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA

West Palm Beach Office

2139 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33409-6601
Toll-free: [phone]
Phone: [phone]
En Espanol: [phone]

Tallahassee Office

The Towle House, 517 N. Calhoun St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301-1231
Toll-free: [phone]
Phone: [phone]
En Espanol: [phone]

[greatpariscars]

Yeah we get it. What we need and what YOU want us to buy.

[jonh]

When you get a quote online, they usually give you a bare bone’s policy, so you think it’s a deal. Little do you know is that you are not really covered

[motivationandtravelchannel]

Yeah I knew the first 30 seconds he started talking he wants people to buy more insurance coverage so HE CAN MAKE MORE MONEY! At your expense of course!