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Consequences Of Driving Without Auto Insurance

Consequences Of Driving Without Auto Insurance
In Florida, all drivers are required to buy at least a minimum standard of auto insurance or face a $150 fine, and $500 for repeat offenses. But the consequences of driving without auto insurance are far more serious should you get into an auto accident
And the reverse is true too – getting into an accident where the other party lacks insurance and you didn’t buy uninsured motorist insurance can also be financially devastating.

Required Auto Insurance Coverage For Florida Drivers
Florida law requires you buy at least $10,000 worth of property damage liability in case you damage another driver’s car or other property and $10,000 coverage for personal injury protection (PIP) to cover medical expenses of yourself or of your own passengers in the event of an accident.

To lower your auto insurance premiums as much as possible, you would by no more than that. You can increase those coverage limits, of course, and add bodily injury liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage if you wish. And that might be a good idea, or even required by the terms of your auto loan.

But beyond basic coverage, the biggest value for your extra premium dollar is undoubtedly uninsured and under-insured motorist cover. The chances of getting into a collision or other accident with an un- or under- insured motorist is simply too high, while the cost of this add-on is very minimal.

What If I Lack Insurance And Get Into An Accident?
Not only could you get into serious legal trouble if caught without proper insurance following an auto accident, but you will not have an insurance company that can pay for the property damage or personal injuries suffered by the other driver and others with him/her in the car.

That may sound like such a person would just “get away with not paying”, but in reality, it means you become personally liable for whatever the car insurance would have paid. And even when an uninsured driver has little to no money, a judge can still require monthly payments or seize, liquidate, or put a lien against his property. Also, since you have no personal injury protection, driving without insurance could mean being financially ruined by overwhelming medical expenses.

What If The Other Driver Lacks Insurance?
Note that Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state. That means that each driver’s insurance policy has to pay for the relevant claims regardless of who was at fault in the accident. Thus, your insurance would have to pay for damage to the other driver’s car, for example, even though that driver drove without insurance and you obeyed the law and bought insurance. And since the other driver was uninsured, he may not have any ability to pay for damage to your vehicle.

Because of how unfair that is, it’s not surprising that people file lawsuits to collect the damages – especially in high-priced accidents. However, it can be time consuming, troublesome, and costly to hire a lawyer and pursue a tort action. Plus, if you were at fault or even partially at fault in the accident, that could reduce or eliminate your ability to gain any compensation.

To avoid all of these problems, you simply buy uninsured motorist protection so you can collect the “missing” compensation from your own insurer. For more information on how uninsured motorist cover works, contact Flagler County (FL) Insurance Agency today!