It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and our client was headed home traveling southbound on US Highway 1. About one mile away and unknown to our client, a hit and run accident had just occurred involving a stolen pick-up truck. At a high rate of speed, the pick-up truck fled the accident scene and began traveling northbound on US Highway 1, ignoring traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic. At the intersection of SR70, the truck, apparently attempting a left hand turn, careened into the intersection. The truck collided with our client’s vehicle as it traveled through the intersection in the opposite direction. Our client had no opportunity to avoid the situation and sustained incapacitating injuries. First responders extricated her from the vehicle and transported her to the hospital. Our client’s medical needs and bills were extensive; more importantly, her life was changed forever as a result of this accident. Unfortunately, there was no insurance coverage on the truck that caused this accident. Discovering that the at-fault person has no insurance is usually devastating news to the innocent victim.
FORTUNATELY, prior to the accident, our client had purchased uninsured “UM” coverage. UM coverage is optional in the state of Florida, and too often people opt not to buy it because they do not understand that UM protects them from the negligence of other drivers. In our client’s case, the at-fault pick-up truck and driver had no insurance, and without UM coverage, our client would have been financially responsible for all of the damages and expenses associated with the crash: surgery, six weeks of living in a physical therapy rehabilitation center, lost wages, damages to the vehicle, and so on.
While you might not expect to be a victim of an accident caused by someone with no auto insurance, the reality in our local area is that one out of every three Florida drivers is uninsured. Consequently, UM coverage is a critical element for guaranteeing your own financial protection in the event of any vehicle accident.
Check your auto insurance as soon as possible to ensure you have “UM” coverage.
Please check your auto coverage immediately. If you find you do not have UM coverage, do yourself and your family a favor and call your agent today to add UM to your policy. The cost to include UM insurance coverage on your auto policy is relatively inexpensive, but the value is immense. If you have more than one car on your policy, ask for “stacking” UM coverage which enables you to receive the combined coverage of all vehicles if you should be involved in an accident.
If you have been involved in any type of auto accident, or if you have any questions regarding car insurance, call me immediately. I will be happy to send you a brochure that explains Florida auto insurance in greater detail.
Contact me at: Toll Free: 1-866-460-1990; After Hours: 1-772-359-0342; Email: HOSKLAW.com