If you are a Florida driver, you have to carry car insurance. However, the mandatory liability insurance limits set by the state will not necessarily provide you with enough coverage.
By getting more coverage, you'll do yourself a favor. So, what benefits can increased liability insurance provide?
Florida's Car Insurance Requirements
Officially, Florida is a no-fault car insurance state. The law requires a driver's own insurance to pay for certain damage, regardless of who caused the wreck.
Still, the state does require drivers to also carry an element of at-fault coverage. At-fault rules require drivers to cover the costs of damage they cause to others if they are the party deemed responsible for the wreck. The state requires drivers to carry at least:
- $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- $10,000 Property Damage Liability Insurance
PIP Insurance applies to the insured's injury costs — regardless of who is at-fault for the accident.
If you are found at-fault for the wreck, Property Damage Liability Insurance will apply to damage you cause to other parties' belongings. If you hit another car, then you will likely have to pay for the vehicle's damage with this coverage.
Certain high-risk drivers must also carry Bodily Injury Liability Insurance. The minimum coverage in Florida is $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident. Coverage will pay for someone else's injury costs, lost income and related costs if you are at-fault for them.
Why You Need More Than Just The Minimum Coverage
Consider the value of $10,000 in property damage liability insurance. Can that really cover the costs of an accident that damages another driver's $50,000 vehicle? Could you afford an extra $40,000 in personal costs if the minimum coverage will only pay to its maximums?
If you don't want to have to answer that question, you must carry increased property damage liability insurance limits. By doing so, you will provide yourself with the reassurance that you can cover even the costliest property damage losses. In many cases, you can carry more than $100,000 in property damage liability insurance.
Furthermore, even though bodily injury liability coverage is not mandatory for all drivers, we recommend that you carry coverage anyway.
Typically, the other party's PIP insurance, if they have it, will pay for their injury costs. Still, that driver might not have PIP coverage available. Furthermore, the other driver's own insurance company might try to recoup the cost of the PIP claim from your insurance company because you caused the wreck. BIL insurance can help cover these costs.
We're here to make sure you always carry extended, appropriately-tailored liability protection. It exists not only to protect other drivers, but also you. Your checkbook will thank you for the less it has to pay for someone else's losses.
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