If you own a car or truck in Florida, you are expected to have insurance. How much insurance you have is up to you, but state laws require that your policy covers at least $10,000 in property damage liability as well as $10,000 in personal injury protection.
Property damage liability insurance is fairly straightforward in that it covers damage to property in the event of an accident. So if you crash your car into someone’s garage, the cost to repair the damage can be paid by PDL insurance. Personal injury protection insurance is different because of the fact that it covers injuries suffered in a crash regardless of fault. It can also be a bit tricky to figure out who is covered by PIP insurance.
Many car accidents involve more than one person. Because of this, people can be very confused about whose injuries are covered. According to Florida laws, your PIP insurance covers:
- You
- Your children
- Other people in your household riding in the car
- A passenger that does not have PIP insurance and also does not own a vehicle
- Your children when they are riding on a school bus
- You as a bicyclist, pedestrian or passenger in another person’s vehicle
If you are not sure about who is covered by your insurance, you can make some costly mistakes in terms of seeking and paying for care related to accident injuries. Further, you may not realize that your insurance company could be misleading you if it tells you it will not cover damages suffered by one of your passengers.
Insurance policies can be enormously confusing and people generally rely on their insurance company to give them their options. However, companies make mistakes; some knowingly mislead policy-holders in an attempt to save money. In order to avoid this, it can be wise to discuss your options with your own attorney rather than rely on the word of the party deciding whether it will pay for damages.
