Underinsured Motorist

If you've been in a car accident, especially if you've been injured, your first step should be to hire a Tampa auto accident attorney. But your second step should be to look at your insurance policy and see what you are actually covered for.

When many people buy their Tampa auto insurance policies, they're usually looking for the lowest price they can get. Rates in many places in Florida can be high, so customers purchase the cheapest policy they can find without really understanding the coverages they are, or are not, purchasing.

A good example of this is Bodily Injury liability coverage, which covers injury to another person when you're at fault. In most states, BI coverage is mandatory. But in Florida, you are required to have a coverage called Personal Injury Protection which covers your own medical bills in an accident no matter who is at fault. This coverage means that BI is no longer required, because it's assumed every driver will have PIP on their policy and cover their own medical costs.

However, PIP only covers up 10,000 worth of medical costs. And after that 10,000 runs out, which happens pretty quickly, you are left holding the rest of the bills unless the driver carries BI as well.