Florida’s maze of motor vehicle insurance laws can be difficult to comprehend.
A case in point: Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage – Liability are the only required coverages for an owner to lawfully operate his/her vehicle on Florida’s streets and highways. (PIP pays 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages for the insured up to $10,000, while Property Damage – Liability pays to repair or replace the other owner’s motor vehicle.) With these coverages, the vehicle owner is able to purchase a license plate and a vehicle registration.
Surprisingly, however, in the event of a motor vehicle accident involving injury or death, having the minimum mandatory coverages will not prevent the at-fault party from having her drivers license and all vehicle registrations from being suspended. Sections 316.066(3)(a)1 and 324.051(2)(a) Florida Statutes.
The type of insurance coverage that will prevent the suspensiong is Bodily Injury (a/k/a liability insurance) in the minimum amounts of $10,000 per person/$20,000 per accident. Section 324.021 (7) Florida Statutes.
Adding coverage for Bodily Injury from the basic PIP and PD – Liability costs money, an additional premium. However, considering the alternative of losing the privilege to drive, it can be viewed as a good investment. Not only is it a good investment that reason, but having BI coverage is part of being a responsible citizen.
BI insurance pays for injuries caused by a driver’s negligence. It is the equivalent of PD – Liability, but for personal injuries instead of vehicle damage. Surprisingly, it is not mandatory.
We believe that PD – Liability and BI should be the only mandatory coverages in Florida. Whether or not to have PIP, which is a no-fault form of medical insurance, should be a matter of personal choice, with the only proviso being that taxpayers should be not required to pay the medical expenses of those people who choice not to carry PIP.
Driving is a privilege, not a right.
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Contact us toll free at 866-785-GALE or by email to learn your legal rights.
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. is a South Florida based law firm committed to the judicial system and to representing and obtaining justice for individuals – the poor, the injured, the forgotten, the voiceless, the defenseless and the damned, and to protecting the rights of such people from corporate and government oppression. We do not represent government, corporations or large business interests.