Living in the beach-lined Sunshine State doesn’t come without its drawbacks—people from all over the world want to visit and experience Florida for themselves. With an average of 48 million visitors each year, it’s no secret that there are millions of additional drivers on our roads at all times, which statistically results in more accidents. Thankfully, Florida is a No Fault state, so you’ll still be protected if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having an accident with an uninsured driver. Below you’ll find out the most common auto accident injuries to look out for, how Florida PIP insurance and uninsured motorist coverage work, and what to do if you’ve been injured by an uninsured driver.

Types of Car Accident Injuries

From torrential downpours to millions of tourists, it’s easy to see why Florida has an extremely high volume of auto insurance claims reported every year. In Florida, the most commonly reported medical insurance claims are neck and back injuries. These injuries have the potential to burden you for life if not treated immediately and correctly. Neck and back injuries from a car accident can include:

Whiplash
Concussions
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Broken Bones
Scrapes and Cuts
Herniated Discs
Spinal Cord Injuries
and More

It’s vital that you seek medical treatment as soon as possible after your accident, even if you don’t think you have symptoms of an injury. Your PIP insurance will only cover medical costs for treatment for up to 14 days after the date of your accident.

Florida Auto Insurance Requirements

In the state of Florida, requirements to purchase and maintain a license plate and vehicle registration are pretty minimal compared to the rest of the country; you’re only required to carry a $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policy and a $10,000 property damage liability (PDL) insurance policy. With how lenient the required coverage is in Florida, it’s alarming that Florida has the highest rate of uninsured drivers in the country at 26.7%.

What is PIP Insurance?

Personal injury protection (PIP), also called Florida No Fault Insurance, covers you in the event of an accident. The “No Fault” means you will be covered by your own policy regardless of who caused the accident. This coverage will help you up to the monetary limits of your policy.

Your policy will also cover anyone else riding in your vehicle at the time of the accident, as long as they don’t have their own PIP insurance. In that case, their policy would cover them. Your children, other members of your household, or someone you let drive your car would also be covered by your policy if they don’t have their own. PIP will also cover you and your children if you suffer an injury while riding on a bus, while you’re riding in or driving someone else’s car, or if you or they have been injured by another vehicle while biking, running, or walking.

What is Property Damage Liability?

Property damage liability is coverage that helps pay for damages that you’ve caused to someone else’s property. Regardless of who is at fault in an accident, if your car hit a vehicle, fence, home, building, other another type of structure, this policy will help pay to repair damages to the affected property. Having a property damage liability policy that covers all damage costs will allow you to focus on any outstanding medical bills and related injury expenses you may have due to the accident.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage Florida

Q: What is Property Damage Liability?

Property damage liability is coverage that helps pay for damages that you’ve caused to someone else’s property. Regardless of who is at fault in an accident, if your car hit a vehicle, fence, home, building, other another type of structure, this policy will help pay to repair damages to the affected property.

Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is important to have in Florida because over ¼ drivers in the state are driving around with no auto insurance. When you consider how many people live in areas like Orlando and Miami, the number of uninsured drivers on the road can easily climb over 100,000 in a single city. In the event of a serious non-fatal accident, your PIP insurance and health insurance may not be enough coverage for all of your immediate and future medical expenses.

Uninsured motorist coverage, also called uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, will pay for injuries you or your passengers suffered as the result of an accident caused by an uninsured driver or if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run crash. Depending on your policy, it may also cover future medical expenses, future lost wages, and non-economic damages. Even if you think you’ll pursue the other driver for a personal injury claim, it will be difficult to do so if they run from the scene of the accident or have no means to pay a settlement reward.

Injuries from Accidents with Uninsured Drivers

Accidents happen, and even though we can’t predict them, we can control how we respond to them. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in an auto accident, see an accident and injury clinic as soon as possible. Don’t let the costs of treatment keep you from seeking the care you need. Your PIP insurance will cover your medical costs as long as you come in within 14 days of your accident. Call us today at 386-492-7931 to schedule an appointment with an accident and injury chiropractic doctor and put your recovery first.