Highlights:
- Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist (UM and UIM) Coverage are optional add-on policies you can purchase under your own auto insurance. They provide extra protection if you’re in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
- Nearly 1 in 5 Florida drivers don’t have any insurance, and thousands more carry only the bare minimum.
- Importantly, Uninsured Motorist Coverage can serve as a legal basis for pursuing additional compensation for injuries and damages.
What Is UM Coverage?
Never heard of Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage or Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage? You’re not alone: these types of insurance are optional in Florida and therefore often go overlooked. However, they could be essential after an accident.
UM Coverage is an add-on to your regular car insurance policy. If you are injured in an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance, UM Coverage can aid in covering your losses. Instead of being left with unpaid medical bills, lost wages, or other damages, your UM plan can cover what the at-fault driver’s insurance should have paid (up to the limits of your policy). In many states, including Florida, this coverage can also apply in hit-and-run accidents where an at-fault driver couldn’t be identified. Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) functions the same way, but for situations where the other driver has insurance but with liability limits that are too low to fully compensate you.
Why is UM Coverage So Important?
As of 2023, Florida ranked 7th in states with the most uninsured drivers on the road, with approximately 20.6% of drivers not holding proper coverage.
UM and UIM policies serve as important safeguards so that you aren’t financially devastated after an accident with a driver not carrying adequate insurance. Without these types of coverage, it’s possible to end up with no recourse to recover damages. In many cases, UM/UIM Coverage can be what bridges the gap between financial hardship and full recovery.
Additionally, UM and UIM Coverage can be critical if you pursue legal action after an accident. With this protection in place, law firms are far more likely to take your case because there’s a clear source of compensation.
What Does UM Coverage Pay For?
This coverage can pay for everything that the other party’s insurance should have covered. This could include:
- Medical bills, hospital stays, and physical therapy
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
Notably, UM/UIM Coverage doesn’t just apply when you’re behind the wheel. It can also protect you if you’re injured as a pedestrian or bicyclist in a crash involving a motor vehicle. In some cases, it may also extend to passengers, depending on state law.
Real-World Scenarios
Here are some examples of how UM/UIM Coverage could help you (up to your policy’s limits):
- Crash with an uninsured driver: UM Coverage acts as the at-fault driver’s insurance, allowing you to recover damages.
- Crash with an underinsured driver: Your damages total $100,000, but the other driver’s policy only covers $25,000. Their insurer pays $25,000, and your UIM Coverage helps make up the difference.
- Hit-and-run accident: With no insurance available from the unknown at-fault driver, your UM Coverage functions as if the driver had a policy.
- Injured as a pedestrian: You’re struck by a car while crossing the street. If the driver has no insurance, your UM Coverage can help pay your medical bills.
- Injured as a bicyclist: You’re hit by a distracted uninsured driver who drifts into the bike lane. UIM can cover your injuries if the driver is underinsured.
- Passenger injuries: You’re riding with a friend who is injured when an uninsured driver causes a crash. Your UM Coverage may also cover your friend’s injuries.
Common Misconceptions About UM Coverage
- “I already have auto and health insurance.” Auto liability only pays others if you cause the crash, and health insurance won’t cover lost wages or pain and suffering. UM Coverage acts as the at-fault driver’s insurance, helping you recover more fully.
- “It’s too expensive.” In reality, UM Coverage usually costs just a small fraction of your overall premium.
- “I don’t need it if I’m a safe driver.” UM Coverage isn’t about you; it protects you from the more than 20% of Florida drivers who have no insurance.
How Schlesinger Law Offices Can Help
If you’ve been injured in a crash caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, your UM/UIM Coverage may be the most important protection you have. Schlesinger Law Offices can help make sure you’re not left paying the price for someone else’s lack of insurance.
Here’s what our car accident attorneys can do for you:
- Identify All Possible Sources of Compensation: We look beyond UM/UIM Coverage to include health insurance, umbrella policies, or employer-provided benefits. In some cases, third parties, like a negligent vehicle manufacturer or a bar that served a drunk driver, may share responsibility.
- Handle Insurance Disputes: Even with UM/UIM Coverage, insurers often try to minimize payouts. We negotiate directly for fair compensation, submit the evidence needed to strengthen your claim, and file a suit if the insurer acts in bad faith.
- Calculate the Full Extent of Damages: Our team works to ensure you receive compensation for medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term rehabilitation or disability needs.
- Represent You in Court: If negotiations fail, we’re fully prepared to take your case to trial. That includes drafting and filing the complaint, conducting legal research, taking depositions, presenting evidence, cross-examining defense experts, and making sure the jury fully understands the impact the crash has had on your life.
- Provide Guidance and Peace of Mind: We manage communication with insurers, track legal deadlines, and give you a clear strategy so you can focus on healing while we advocate for your rights.
At Schlesinger Law Offices, we don’t just process claims. We care about our clients’ futures and work to ensure they receive the support and compensation they need to move forward after a serious crash.