Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Answer:

A client asked us a great question the other day about uninsured motorist coverage. He asked us, “Why should I purchase it? Why should I offer it to my clients? Can’t we just use health insurance?” That’s actually a great question. Health insurance comprises one component of an uninsured motorist claim. What I mean by that is when you’re bringing an uninsured motorist claim because of either of two situations – one, the driver that was at fault didn’t have any insurance coverage, no bodily injury coverage; or two, the driver had some bodily injury coverage, but not enough to cover the full maximum value of your claim – medical bills are one part of your claim, and that certainly is something health insurance can cover. There’s a lot of nuances with regard to health insurance and what they pay and don’t pay on a personal injury claim, but there’s other things to consider.

The second element is your future medical bills. That is something that is within the purview of uninsured motorist coverage. Future medical bills are the second part of your claim. Furthermore, if you sustained a permanent injury – you got a herniated disc from the accident, or some type of permanent injury that a doctor says you’re going to have for the rest of your life – the you’re dipping into pain and suffering, both in the past and in the future. Lost wages are another component of a claim that’s within the purview of uninsured motorist coverage.

Uninsured motorist coverage is specific to your accident. It’s going to cover more, potentially, than a health insurance claim would. The answer to that question is it’s invaluable to possess uninsured motorist coverage when you consider, in the state of Florida, that drivers are not required to carry bodily injury coverage. If you can afford it, please purchase it.