Florida is one of only two states left where drivers aren’t required to carry bodily injury liability coverage. State law requires Personal Injury Protection (PIP), but not coverage for the injuries you cause someone else. The result: close to one in five drivers on Florida roads carries no insurance at all. If the driver who hits you falls into that group — or carries only the state minimum — your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may be what actually gets your bills paid.
Why Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage Matters
PIP pays a slice of your medical bills and lost wages no matter who caused the crash. It’s rarely enough. A broken bone, a surgery, weeks out of work — those costs add up fast, and PIP wasn’t built to absorb them. If the at-fault driver has no bodily injury coverage, there’s often no clear path to recovering the rest directly from them.
UM/UIM coverage is what fills that gap. It’s an optional add-on to your own policy, and by law Florida insurers have to offer it — you’d have had to decline it in writing to not have it. Worth pulling out your declarations page and checking, because a lot of people genuinely don’t know what they’re carrying until they need it.
What UM/UIM Coverage Actually Covers
Depending on your policy, it can help with:
- Medical expenses beyond what PIP pays
- Lost wages, and lost future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering and other non-economic losses
- Hit-and-run accidents, where there’s no driver to identify at all
Florida also permits “stacking” UM coverage across multiple vehicles on one policy in some cases, which can meaningfully raise the total available. Whether it applies to you comes down to specific policy language — not something to guess at.
Steps to Take After an Accident with an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver
A few things protect your claim early on:
- Call law enforcement and get a copy of the crash report
- Get medical care promptly, and actually follow through on the treatment plan
- Let your own insurer know a UM/UIM claim may be involved
- Don’t give a recorded statement — to any insurer, including your own — before talking to an attorney
- Hold onto records: medical bills, missed income, how the injury’s affected your day-to-day
UM/UIM claims tend to be harder than a standard claim against someone else’s insurer, mostly because you’re now dealing with your own company — and they have their own reasons to want to pay out less. Having someone who understands how these claims get evaluated in your corner tends to matter here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to carry UM/UIM coverage in Florida?
No — insurers have to offer it, but you can reject it in writing. Check your declarations page or ask your agent if you’re not sure.
What if the other driver has insurance, just not enough?
That’s underinsured motorist territory. UIM coverage exists for exactly this — covering the gap between what their policy pays and what your losses actually total.
Can I file a UM claim after a hit-and-run?
Often, yes. It’s one of the scenarios UM coverage is specifically built for, though the details depend on your policy and the facts of the crash.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Deadlines apply and vary by claim type and policy terms — this isn’t something to sit on.
Why is minimum coverage in Florida not enough?
Attorney Eric Romano discusses this very important topic in the linked article “Florida Auto Insurance: Why Minimum Coverage is Not Enough”
Romano Law Group is Here to Help
Romano Law Group is dedicated to helping injured victims understand their coverage and pursue the recovery they’re entitled to. If you have been injured by a driver without enough insurance, reach out for a free consultation — there’s no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call 561-533-6700.
