Miami Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer
No one wants to be in an auto accident. They are dangerous, costly, time-consuming, and can create a major interference in your daily life.
For innocent victims of a car crash, the stress and frustration are made just a little bit better by one comforting thought: “at least there’s insurance.”
But what if you are injured by a driver with inadequate auto insurance coverage — or, even worse, with no insurance at all?
That’s the scenario that far too many Floridians find themselves in. Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured and underinsured drivers in the country, and a lagging economy in recent years has only encouraged an even larger number of people to tempt fate without insurance.
Fortunately, there is still hope. At Kaire & Heffernan, LLC, we work with auto accident victims every day, including those injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. It is our job to help those people recover the compensation they deserve, even if the most obvious source isn’t available.
No one deserves to pay the price for someone else’s carelessness. An experienced Miami car crash lawyer can make sure you don’t have to.
Florida Law Requires Auto Insurance
While Florida law requires drivers to carry Auto Insurance, Florida Law, does NOT mandate that drivers carry Bodily Injury Liability coverage. Rather, automobile drivers in Florida are required to carry auto insurance that meets the following minimum requirements:
- $10,000 in no-fault personal injury projection (PIP) and
- $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL)
That’s it. Insurance to pay for your own medical bills, and property damage insurance to repair a car.
So even drivers that comply with the law, are operating vehicles without adequate auto insurance. That’s where we come in.
Recover Compensation from an Uninsured Motorist
At Kaire & Heffernan, LLC, our attorneys will work with you to explore every possible avenue for economic compensation. Often, your own auto insurance company shares in the responsibility to cover your damages.
First, because Florida is a no-fault insurance state, your own auto insurance company is the primary party when it comes to paying for your own medical expenses. That obligation only extends to the maximum amount of PIP coverage under your policy, which may be as little as $2,500.00. Given today’s high medical costs, that’s often too little to cover the bills.
Ordinarily, the at-fault driver would have to pay for your medical costs once your own PIP has been exhausted. But if that does not have bodily injury liability coverage, that option isn’t available.
Fortunately, you may have additional protection under your own auto insurance policy in the form of uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage. While Florida law doesn’t require insurers to offer this additional coverage, many policies include it anyway.
In fact, you might already have uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage and not even realize it. In that case, this additional coverage will kick in to protect you after your PIP runs out.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Florida does not force insurers to offer you uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage, unless you also purchase Bodily Injury Liability coverage
This additional coverage is usually available at a very reasonable price and it can make all the difference should you ever become the victim of an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
If you aren’t sure whether you’re currently covered, you should call your provider right away. But sadly, if the accident has already occurred, you won’t be able to retroactively apply it.
Additional Sources for Compensation
What if you’ve exhausted your PIP, you don’t have uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage, and there are still significant damages for which you haven’t been compensated? Are you simply out of luck?
Not necessarily. An experienced lawyer may still be able to seek compensation from third parties whose negligence contributed to your suffering. You may even carry other kinds of insurance that might share in the duty to pay.
Get Help from a Miami Car Crash Lawyer at Kaire & Heffernan, LLC
If you’ve been injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist in Miami, we might be able to help. Never assume that you don’t have options without asking an attorney first. You may be surprised by just how much compensation you could still recover.
Please contact Kaire & Heffernan, LLC as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with an experienced and aggressive attorney in our office today. We’re here to help.