Beware of auto insurance companies selling “Full Coverage”

The personal injury attorneys at the law office of Dell and Schaefer have noticed a recent trend when investigating auto accident claims: 90% of all of our personal injury plaintiffs have been told that they have purchased “Full Coverage” from their auto insurance companies. Unfortunately, many of our clients don’t know exactly what that means. Many believe that Uninsured/Underinsured motorist (UM) coverage is part of their policy because they purchased full coverage. That is not always the case. Many agents have been claiming “Full Coverage” when the policy only includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Bodily Injury (BI) coverage. It does not, however, mean that you have UM coverage.

The importance of having UM coverage

Having UM coverage is important no matter where you live but is increasingly more important in the State of Florida. Bodily injury coverage (BI) is not a requirement in the Florida. Therefore, if someone injures you in an auto accident and they do not have BI, they are not violating the law in any way. Not only that, but if they do not have BI, there will be no way to get compensated out of their auto insurance policy. Furthermore, if you have “Full Coverage” through your auto insurance company, you still may not be able to be compensated for your injuries. You must purchase UM coverage so that you can be assured that you will be able to get compensated in the event that you are injured due to the negligence of another.

How to get UM

The easiest way to purchase UM coverage on your auto insurance policy is to call your insurance company directly and let them know you would like to purchase it. You do not need to wait until your policy renews in order to purchase UM. It can be done at any time throughout the life of your policy. The cost of the additional coverage may be pro-rated so that you only pay for UM for the time which remains on your policy. You will not be paying for UM for the time period of your policy which has already passed. Yes, it is true that the cost of your insurance premiums will increase but as anyone who has ever been injured by an uninsured person knows, having UM in a time of need is invaluable.