Are television advertisements an indication of consumer behavior?

Law Firm of Burman, Critton, Luttier & Coleman

If television advertisements are any indication of consumer behavior, most people are not concerned with getting the best coverage; they are looking to save money on their car insurance. Did you know that the Insurance Research Council found that approximately 23% of drivers in Florida have no insurance? Florida ranks fifth in the country when it comes to the percentage of uninsured drivers. Thus, if you are involved in a car accident, there is roughly a one-in-four chance the other driver has absolutely no insurance. Even if the other driver is insured, he or she is not required to carry bodily injury coverage, that is, coverage to pay for any injuries you sustain as a result of his/her negligence.

So what can you do to protect yourself? The answer is simple: purchase uninsured motorist coverage, commonly known as "UM coverage." Below are two scenarios to illustrate how UM coverage works.

Scenario 1: You have an insurance policy with $10,000 in bodily injury coverage, no UM coverage and $10,000 in PIP (personal injury protection) coverage. You are t-boned by an uninsured driver who ran a red light and you sustain permanent injuries. Your injuries cause you to miss work and lose wages. Under this scenario, you only have $10,000 in PIP coverage to cover your medical expenses and lost wages. If the injuries are severe, the $10,000 can be exhausted in days.

Scenario 2: Same accident as described in Scenario 1, yet this time you have an insurance policy with $100,000 in bodily injury coverage, $100,000 in UM coverage and $10,000 in PIP coverage. Under this scenario, you have $110,000 ($100,000 uninsured motorist and $10,000 PIP) to cover your medical expenses and lost wages.

As you can see, UM coverage can greatly benefit you if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or under-insured driver. Your trusted advocates at Burman, Critton, Luttier & Coleman are highly experienced personal injury attorneys who will fight to get you what you deserve from the insurance companies. If you or someone you know has been injured, please contact us at             561-842-2820       to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our professionals.