Florida is in a minority of states. If you are involved in an accident and it was clearly someone else’s fault (you’re at a red light… *bam*… someone rear-ends you), you would immediately think— I would— that they’re at fault. They should be the one to come forward first and help pay the bills…
That’s not the case.
Florida is a minority. We live in a “no-fault” insurance state. And that’s exactly what it means. It doesn’t make any difference who’s at fault. *Your own insurance company* is the primary payor, is the first payor, of your medical bills, your lost wages… Now there may be an opportunity to collect from the party that caused the accident, but that’s a whole other ballgame.
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It doesn’t make any difference who’s at fault. *Your own insurance company* is the primary payor…
You have to meet other conditions, there are conditions precedent that have to be met before their insurance company (the at-fault insurance company) is exposed. And in Florida it’s particularly tricky. Because 45% of the people driving on the streets have no insurance. Florida does not require you to have liability coverage.
Thus, the cheaper premium, getting uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is a good bet. You need to have that.
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– Ranier Munns is an experienced personal injury attorney and managing shareholder of Bogin, Munns & Munns, a full service law firm with offices in Orlando, Clermont, Kissimmee, Orange City, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Melbourne, Gainesville, and Leesburg. Mr. Munns works out of the Orlando office and welcomes questions and comments regarding the above. He can be reached at ranier@boginmunns.com.
NOTICE: The article above is not intended to serve as legal advice, and you should not rely on it as such. It is offered only as general information. You should consult with a duly licensed attorney regarding your Florida legal matter, as every situation is unique. Please know that merely reading this article, subscribing to this blog, or otherwise contacting Bogin, Munns & Munns does not establish an attorney-client relationship with our firm. Should you seek legal representation from Bogin, Munns & Munns, any such representation must first be agreed to by the firm and confirmed in a written agreement.
