Reader question:

Do I need to get uninsured motorist Florida car insurance coverage if I live in Tampa?

Charlie

Glad you asked, Charlie.

Uninsured motorist protection is not a required part of Florida car insurance coverage law, so really it all depends on your options and your priorities. The first thing that you need to consider, before you take in to mind any extenuating factors, is that no matter where you are, no fault state or no, there will be people driving without car insurance. Depending on what state you are in, it might not even be necessary to get extra coverage because of this, but this is still something that you should keep in mind.

First of all, in Florida they only offer one kind of uninsured motorist coverage, and that is for bodily injury. This can be a good idea to carry if you don’t have anything else that would cover the bodily injury of a victim of an accident caused by you if that victim did not carry car insurance coverage. However, it also provides protection for yourself in this area, and that is where it begins to become redundant. In Florida, you are already required to carry personal injury protection coverage, and then most people have health insurance on top of that. It is very unlikely that your health insurance coverage and your personal injury protection would run out after one accident, making it to where you need even more coverage.

One thing that you might consider when thinking about getting uninsured motorist coverage is the possibility of getting a pain and suffering benefit. This might not be possible if you do not have this type of car insurance coverage.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.