Florida Auto Insurance, Answered

Florida’s auto rules are unusual, and the gaps they create are not obvious. Call (813) 499-9347 if your situation is not covered here.

Florida is a no-fault state. What does my PIP actually pay?

Less than most people assume. Personal Injury Protection pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses up to a $10,000 limit. But that limit drops to $2,500 unless a qualified provider certifies that you had an emergency medical condition. And you must receive initial care within 14 days of the accident or PIP pays nothing at all.

Both conditions are in section 627.736 of the Florida Statutes and both catch people every year. If you are in an accident, being seen quickly matters more than you would think.

If everyone has insurance, why do I need uninsured motorist coverage?

Because not everyone does, and Florida does not require bodily injury liability of every driver. The state requires PIP and property damage liability. That means a driver can be perfectly legal and still have nothing available to pay for injuries they cause you.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is what protects you in that situation, and in a dense market it is carrying more of the load than most people assume. We look at whether your UM limits actually match your bodily injury limits, because they often do not.

What is stacked uninsured motorist coverage?

Stacking multiplies your uninsured motorist limit by the number of vehicles on the policy. Two cars with $100,000 stacked UM gives you $200,000 available on a single claim. It costs more, and whether it makes sense depends on how many vehicles you insure and who drives them. It is worth pricing rather than assuming.

Should I carry an umbrella policy?

If you own a home, have savings, or have a teenage driver, it is usually worth the quote. An umbrella sits above your auto and homeowners liability limits and typically costs less than people expect, because the umbrella carrier is pricing off limits you already carry. The catch is that it requires minimum underlying limits, so raising your auto liability is often the first step.

My teenager just got a license. What happens to my rate?

It goes up, and there is no way around that. What we can do is check the things that are frequently missed: good student discounts, whether assigning them to the lowest-rated vehicle helps, driver training credits, and whether your current carrier is even competitive for young drivers. Some are not, and moving the whole policy costs less than absorbing the surcharge.

Does my auto policy cover me in a rental car?

Usually your liability and, if you carry it, your comprehensive and collision extend to a rental in the United States. What often does not extend is the rental company’s loss of use and administrative charges. Read the counter agreement rather than assuming, and call us before a trip if you want it checked.

Is a claim always worth filing?

No, and this is where an agent earns their keep. If the damage is close to your deductible, filing can cost you more over three years in surcharge than the claim pays. We will talk it through with you before you file rather than after.