You Don’t Really Have Full Coverage on Your Car in Florida

Do you think you are safe because you have full coverage for your Florida car insurance?

I see people in my office after car accidents every single day who think the exact same thing. After they get into a crash, they find out the hard way that “full coverage” didn’t actually cover them at all.

Please ask yourself: What does full coverage mean? I have asked myself this question too. My answer is: I have no clue. And I am an experienced accident attorney who has seen it all! The truth is, there is no definition of what “full coverage” means in Florida. It’s a term insurance companies use to make you feel good, but it doesn’t always mean you are protected.

I wrote this article to help you learn the truth about car insurance in Florida. I want you and your family to be protected, not left holding the bill for a mistake that wasn’t even your fault.

What Does “Full Coverage” Mean to a Regular Person in Florida?

To most people, “full coverage” sounds like an invisible shield around your car. If you hear that term, you probably think:

• If I hit someone, the insurance pays.
• If someone hits me, the insurance pays.
• If my car is stolen or crushed by a falling tree, the insurance pays.
• If I end up in the hospital, the insurance pays.

In Florida, most people think “full coverage” means they have met the legal requirements and have enough money to handle bad luck on the road. But since the law doesn’t define it, “full coverage” is really just whatever your insurance agent decided to sell you that day.

Why Is It Called “Full Coverage” if I Am Missing Possible Coverages?

This is the big “gotcha.” It’s called full coverage because you usually have the two things Florida law requires (PIP and Property Damage).

However, you can have “full coverage” and still be missing many important protections. In Florida, about one out of every five drivers has no insurance at all. In my office, I am seeing that up to 40% of drivers carry no Bodily Injury or Uninsured Motorist coverage. If one of them hits you and you don’t have UM, your “full coverage” will not pay for your medical bills or your lost time at work. It’s like having a “full suit of armor” that’s missing the helmet!

How Do You Find Out What Your Car Insurance Coverage Is?

Don’t just trust what’s on the little ID card in your glove box. To see the truth, you need to look at your Declarations Page (sometimes called a “Dec Page”).

• Step 1: Log into your insurance app or find your latest mail from the insurance company.
• Step 2: Look for the page that lists your name, your car, and a bunch of numbers with dollar signs ($).
• Step 3: Look at the “Limits” column. This tells you exactly how much the insurance company will pay if something goes wrong.

What Are All the Categories of Car Insurance and What Does Each Mean?

Insurance can be confusing, so let’s break it down like a grocery list. Here is what you’ll see on that Dec Page:

• PIP (Personal Injury Protection): Florida is a “No-Fault” state. This means your own insurance pays the first $10,000 of your medical bills, no matter who caused the crash.
• Property Damage (PD): This pays for the other person’s car if you hit it. It does not fix your own car.
• Bodily Injury (BI): This pays for the other person’s medical bills if you hurt them. Surprisingly, Florida law does not require most drivers to have this, but you need it to protect yourself from a lawsuit.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM): This is the MVP. If someone hits you and they have no insurance (or not enough), this pays for your medical bills and pain and suffering.
• Collision: This pays to fix your own car if you hit something.
• Comprehensive: This pays for “acts of God” like a hurricane, a fire, or if you hit an animal.
• Rental: This guarantees that you will get a rental car after an accident.

Which Category of Coverage Do I Need?

If you want to be truly protected in Florida, you need more than the “legal minimum.” You should have:

• PIP (Required)
• Property Damage (Required)
• Bodily Injury (To protect you from being sued if you hurt someone else)
• Uninsured Motorist (To protect yourself if someone hits and injures you in a crash)

How Much of Each Item of Coverage Should I Buy?

While everyone’s budget is different, here is what I recommend to my own friends and family:

• Bodily Injury: At least $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. If you have a house or a good job, you need this so you don’t lose everything in a lawsuit.
• Uninsured Motorist: Match your Bodily Injury limits ($25k/$50k). This is for YOU. Don’t value the other guy’s life more than your own!
• Property Damage: At least $25,000. Think about how much a new truck costs these days. $10,000 isn’t enough to fix a bumper anymore.

How Do I Know if I Have Too Much or Too Little Insurance Coverage?

It is very rare to have too much insurance. But, I see it with doctors or people who are concerned about losing their personal assets. The overwhelming majority of Floridians carry too little.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb. You have too little insurance if:

1. You only have the $10,000 minimums for PIP and Property damage.
2. You don’t have Bodily Injury AND Uninsured Motorist coverage.
3. A car accident would ruin you financially.

Why This Matters for You

If you get into a car accident, the insurance company is not your friend. They want to pay you as little as possible. When you have the right coverage, it gives me, your attorney, the tools I need to fight for you.

I don’t want you to be the person sitting in my office crying because you have “full coverage” but none of the coverage that you actually needed to protect yourself. Check your Dec Page today or call your insurance company and ask questions. If it’s confusing, give me a call. I’d rather help you fix your policy now than tell you there’s no money available after a crash.

Stay safe out there, Florida!