One thing is certain, “full coverage” is not what most people think it is. The only types of insurance coverage required by law of every owner of a motor vehicle registered in Florida are Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) and Property Damage – Liability. Period. There are numerous other types of…
Typically, Florida automobile insurance policies recognize two classes of insureds. Mullis v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 252 So. 2d 229, 238. (Fla. 1971). Class I insureds are named insureds, usually the owner of the vehicle, and their resident relatives. Travelers Ins. Co. v. Warren, 678 So. 2d 324,…
Owners of motor vehicles registered and operated in Florida are vicariously liable for damages caused by their vehicles while operated by a consensual driver. Car rental companies are exempt from this rule. This form of strict liability is derived from Florida’s Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine, adopted in Southern Cotton Oil Co.…
Florida Statutes section 627.733, entitled Required Security, requires all motor vehicle owners to maintain “no-fault” automobile insurance covering, among other items, 80% of the insured’s own medical expenses. See §§ 627.733(1), (3)(a), 627.736(1)(a). The typical Florida PIP policy has a $10,000 coverage limit with deductibles of up to $2,000. From…
Florida Statute 627.409 (2010) allows an insurance company to rescind an insurance policy on the grounds of misrepresentation if it can prove: a) The misrepresentation, omission, concealment, or statement is fraudulent or is material either to the acceptance of the risk or to the hazard assumed by the insurer. (b)…
Job one of lawyers who represent individuals who have suffered personal injuries and/or property damage losses is to maximize the client’s recovery. The conventional thinking is that the recovery in every case is limited by the measure of actual damages, in other words, the recovery cannot exceed the loss. Surprisingly,…
Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage is 1st party insurance maintained for the benefit of individuals injured by uninsured motorists. See these blogs: Florida 4th in the Nation in Number of Uninsured Vehicles Florida Motor Vehicle Insurance Law: What is Stacked Coverage? “Full Coverage” Vehicle Accident Insurance in Florida An insurance policy…
Florida lawyers who represent individuals injured in accidents must be aware that some of the proceeds recovered in a case may have to be reimbursed to entities who have paid for accident-related medical care. If benefits were paid through an individual health insurance plan, whether and to what extent the…
Nationwide, roughly one in seven (13.8%) drivers are not covered by liability insurance and are therefore uninsured. Florida is tied in fourth place with Tennessee and Oklahoma at 24% with the highest percentage of uninsured drivers. Part of Florida’s numbers are attributable to its motor vehicle insurance laws. Liability insurance…
Stacking coverage is one of the most misunderstood areas of Florida’s motor vehicle insurance laws. The goal of this blog is to help clear up the confusion. Stacked coverage is a type of coverage that is available within the broader type of coverage known as uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance. Neither…