UM Protection In An Auto Accident – What Is It, Do I Need It

UM Protection—What Is It? Why Do I Need It?Florida Car Accident Lawyer Rosenberg Law Firm

In a perfect world, everyone would have car insurance. In an even more perfect world, we wouldn’t have car accidents. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. The truth is that there are millions of uninsured motorists driving on the road every day and the likelihood of getting in a car accident with someone who has no car insurance is higher than you might think. In Florida, more than 20% of drivers are uninsured. Not only that, but some motorists are dishonest and have fraudulent insurance and may give you information that is untrue or falsified. If this happens to you, you might think that you are completely out of luck, but that is not true. One of the best ways to protect yourself from uninsured or under-insured motorists is by investing in UM Protection.

What is UM Protection?

UM Protection stands for two things—Uninsured Motor Protection and Under-Insured Motor Protection. Essentially, UM Protection covers you in case you are in an accident with someone who does not have insurance or whose insurance does not cover your expenses. Uninsured Motor Protection is straightforward enough (it covers you in case the other driver has no insurance), but Under-Insured Motor Insurance might be a little trickier to understand.

Here’s an example of how Under-Insured Motor Protection can work for you:

Let’s say you are in a car accident and the driver gives you their insurance information. It is determined by your insurance company and through the police report that they are at fault and are financially responsible for your damages. Great! You are covered. The only problem is that your total loss for injuries, including medical bills, cost $50,000 but their insurance only covers $25,000 worth of damage. If you do not have UM Insurance, you will be stuck paying the other $25,000.

UM Protection is coverage given through your insurance company that takes care of costs that the other driver cannot cover either due to not having insurance or having enough coverage.

When Can I Use UM Protection?

In the case of injury to your person in an accident and the other driver is deemed at fault but has no insurance or is under-insured, UM Bodily Injury Coverage will pay for medical expenses. In any case, UM coverage only takes effect when the other driver is at fault and cannot pay for your expenses.

How Much Will UM Protection Cover?

A good thing to keep in mind when you are considering getting UM Protection is how much coverage you need. Remember not all coverages are created equally. If you have UM Protection that covers $20,000 and the at fault driver has bodily insurance but it only covers $15,000 and your expenses are $50,000 in total, you will still have to pay an additional $15,000 out of pocket. When you get UM Protection, it is best to plan for the worst-case scenario while also considering your budget and what works for you.

Let’s Recap

You need UM Protection, especially if you live in Florida because an abundant number of drivers are uninsured. UM Protection will cover your expenses if you are in a car accident and the at fault driver does not have insurance or is under-insured. There are different amounts of UM Coverage that range from $15,000 to $50,000 and upwards, but you have to get what works for your budget. The important thing is to have UM Protection so that you are protected against another person’s negligence.

Have You Been Injured In A Florida Car Accident?

If you’ve been hurt in a car accident you need to speak with an experienced Florida car
accident lawyer
as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Coral Springs office directly at
954.755.7803 to schedule your free consultation. We proudly serve Florida residents including all of Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami-Dade
County, Broward County, Palm Beach County and all points in between.

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