Uninsured Motorist (UM) Insurance

Presented by Jason Guari, Esq.

Hello, I'm attorney Jason Guari, and I want to take 2 minutes to talk to you about the importance of having Uninsured Motorist Coverage, also known as UM insurance.

Unfortunately, many people realize the significance of UM coverage too late—that is, after they or their family members have been seriously injured by an uninsured driver.

UM coverage provides protection to you, resident relatives, and passengers in your vehicle-if involved in an accident with someone who has no liability coverage or just too little insurance to cover your damages. It also provides coverage if you are injured in a hit and run accident.

The State of Florida doesn't require drivers to carry bodily injury (BI) liability insurance. It' estimated that 1 in 4 drivers are uninsured or underinsured. This said, the likelihood of being in an auto accident with someone who doesn't have enough insurance coverage is high. In this event, you may make a claim under your UM policy.

If you don’t have UM coverage, are in an accident with an uninsured driver and suffer personal injury caused by them, most likely, you WILL NOT receive adequate compensation to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and loss of capacity to enjoy life.

Don't rely on your insurance agent or insurance company to advise you that your insurance policy has full coverage. Full coverage under Florida law only means carrying Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage (PD) coverage. Full Coverage does not mean that you have UM insurance. We encourage you to ask for this coverage and check your policy to ensure you have it.

To provide competitive rates, insurance agents and companies rarely mention UM coverage. For example, here is a quote from a major insurance company. As you can see, there is no mention of UM insurance.

UM coverage comes in 2 ways - "Stacked" or "Unstacked"Simply stated, "stacked" multiplies your limits for this coverage by the number of cars you're insuring.

For example, if you have 2 cars in your household and choose Stacked Coverage, the UM benefit amount is multiplied by 2. Although this increases your premiums, the UM benefits double, thereby providing you with added personal protection.

If you have any questions regarding your auto insurance policy or need additional information on uninsured motorist coverage, please do not hesitate to contact me at (561) 366-9099 or by email at jguari@murrayguari.com.

We would be happy to answer your questions free of charge.