Miami Accident Lawyer Blog
In many cases, being on the top of a best or worst-of list, can be bad news. That’s the case for Florida, which was recently ranked in a study as being the worst state in which to get into a car accident. That’s right, including Washington D.C., Florida was 51 of 51.
Study Evaluates Insurance Issues
The study was based on both the kinds of insurance required by a state, and the percentage of drivers that were driving, illegally or not, without any insurance. The study also took into consideration what kinds and what limits of insurance are required by drivers to be carried. Many states have no insurance requirements at all.
Maine was ranked the best, with just under 5% of its residents driving without insurance. And at the bottom was Florida, with 23% of drivers travelling the roadways with no insurance. Oklahoma actually has close to 26% of its drivers uninsured, more than Florida, but finished ahead of Florida, because its minimum insurance limits are higher than Florida’s.
Also at the bottom were Mississippi and New Mexico, with uninsured rates in the 20th percentiles. California was 47th, with only 14.7% driving uninsured, but its minimum limits are even lower than Florida’s, lowering its rating.
Florida only requires personal injury protection (PIP). Other kinds of coverage are optional, but in many states, uninsured motorist coverage or bodily injury coverage is required.
Why Insured Drivers Matter
It’s best not to get in an accident where a driver has no insurance. Unless you are in an accident involving a vehicle owned by a large corporation, where insurance is not as much as an issue, when you are hit by an individual, insurance is usually what helps compensate you for your injuries. This is why when there is insurance involved, an injured party doesn’t have to worry whether or not the other driver can pay a verdict or settlement.
In many cases, if you are hit by an individual driver without insurance, there is no pocket for you to get any reparation. That includes payment for the damage to your car, or for your own injuries.
Your personal injury protection (PIP) can help with some of your expenses, but will only cover actual medical bills—not pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or other emotional hardship. Many PIP policies also have deductibles, which you could have to pay if the other side has no insurance.
Safe Drivers and Insured Drivers
There is no reason to say that just because someone drives without insurance, they’re not a safe driver. But certainly, there is an aspect of responsibility to carrying insurance (especially where its legally required), and someone who doesn’t do so may not be someone you want to be sharing the road with.
Unfortunately, there appear to be a lot of those kinds of people in Florida.
Car accidents can be devastating, and often involve severe disruption to your life. Talk to the Miami personal injury attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. today for a free consultation about your Miami injury case and make sure you get proper compensation for your injuries.