Study Finds One in Four Florida Drivers Is Uninsured

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on July 17, 2011

Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham was shocked to read recently that one in four drivers in our state is operating a vehicle without the required minimum amount of insurance coverage. According to a report issued recently by the non-profit Insurance Research Council, Florida ranks 50 percent above the national average for uninsured drivers, which is one uninsured driver out of every six. Massachusetts is lowest overall in the U.S. with one in every 100 drivers operating a vehicle without insurance. Mr. Cunningham was also shocked to learn that our state is not the worst for uninsured drivers. Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi and New Mexico average more than one in four uninsured drivers, but that is little comfort to anyone in Florida involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver.

In Florida, drivers are only required to carry basic insurance coverage for their own injuries and for property damage that they cause to another driver’s vehicle, but they don’t have to carry coverage for bodily injuries they may cause to others. Our state lags behind most states in the country by not requiring basic coverage for bodily injury to others, and this puts anyone driving or riding in a car at elevated risk for profound financial hardship if they suffer injuries in an auto accident.

Essentially, current Florida laws put everyone at risk, including conscientious drivers who purchase more than the minimum amount of coverage, for being unable to recover damages for injuries suffered in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver. Our state’s “no-fault” insurance system may help keep small claims of $10,000 or less out of our courts, but with healthcare costs skyrocketing, very few injuries can be treated for less then $10,000.

When injured people need compensation to help pay for medical bills, lost time at work and other accident related expenses, they turn to experienced Orlando personal injury lawyers such as James O. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham has been helping people injured in auto accidents receive fair and just compensation for more than 34 years and offers free consultations to discuss each client’s case. To schedule your consultation and learn more about your rights and legal options, call 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 today.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.