Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage in an Automobile Insurance Policy

It may shock you to discover that a recent study found that 30 to 40 percent of all Central Florida drivers are either uninsured or underinsured having only the very minimum of bodily injury liability insurance coverage. Sadly, the study also found that Florida drivers who operate their vehicles without any insurance or with minimal liability coverage are the most likely to drive recklessly or carelessly. So, in the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident in Central Florida, odds are that the accident was caused by a negligent driver with little or no bodily injury liability insurance to cover damage, injuries, or loss to compensate you or your family.

Fortunately, you can protect yourself and your family from other drivers’ negligence with the purchase of uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage. It is unfortunate that responsible Florida drivers must incur this cost, but in the event of a serious auto accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, this type of insurance coverage might protect you or your family from great financial hardship.

How Uninsured Motorist Insurance Works

Few of us think about purchasing uninsured motorist insurance until they or a friend or family member are seriously injured in an accident caused by a negligent uninsured motorist. However, the minor cost of uninsured motorist coverage can be a huge help if you’re injured in an accident where an uninsured driver is at fault. Uninsured motorist (UM) insurance is straight forward coverage in that if you purchase $100,000 worth of UM insurance coverage and suffer injuries in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, you could receive up to that dollar amount in settlement of your injury claim.

Also, if you suffer injuries in an accident where the at-fault driver is insured but only has the minimum amount of coverage, your UM policy would function as underinsured motorist coverage as well. If you suffer injuries which require medical care in excess of the underinsured motorist’s coverage, your UM policy would cover the costs of treatment up to the amount of coverage you purchased.

If you or someone you care for has been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured motorist or you have questions about uninsured motorist insurance coverage, call Florida auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) for a free consultation.