UNINSURED MOTORIST INSURANCE, DO YOU HAVE IT?

    There is no requirement that a motor vehicle owner have bodily (personal) injury liability coverage to compensate you if the other driver is at fault. 

    Therefore, it is important that you have UM (uninsured or underinsured motorist) coverage to protect you and members of your family household when a permanent injury is sustained as a result of the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured motorist.  An uninsured motorist is one who has no bodily (personal) injury liability insurance (many of your drivers today).  An underinsured motorist is one who does not have sufficient  bodily (personal) injury liability insurance to reimburse you for all your losses. 

     UM coverage protects you and any member of your family household if permanently injured by a motor vehicle even if you are a pedestrian, on a motorcycle, a passenger of another motor vehicle without liability or UM coverage, or if injured at work.

    A letter carrier purchased UM insurance after a speech I gave at a union meeting.  When his wife was injured in a motor vehicle accident in which the other driver had no personal injury liability insurance, we were able to collect a substantial amount under his UM insurance.

    A Verizon employee’s wife was injured in a motor vehicle accident resulting in a back surgery and inability to continue her job.  Unfortunately, the person at fault had no personal injury liability coverage and the Verizon employee had no UM insurance.

    After a speech I gave, Fred, a city employee, purchased UM insurance.  When Fred's wife was injured in a motor vehicle accident, we were able to collect UM insurance in addition to the liability insurance of the driver at fault.  Otherwise, Fred’s wife would not have been fully compensated.

    Unfortunately, another client rejected UM insurance, even though he purchased $100,000 in liability insurance.  When his son was killed by the carelessness of a young driver, the family was not able to be reimbursed for their losses.

    After I explained UM insurance following the death of her husband in a motor vehicle accident, Julia, the niece of a retired Tampa firefighter, purchased UM insurance.  When 4 months later her son was injured in a motor vehicle accident, we were able to collect that UM insurance to reimburse them for their losses.

    You may never need UM insurance like other insurance you have purchased (i.e. homeowners insurance, disability insurance, flood insurance, etc.).  However, I personally know those who are glad they did purchase UM insurance, and those who wish they had.

     UM insurance is optional, and I urge you to elect to purchase it.  Furthermore, you can elect whether you wish to "stack" your UM insurance.  Stacking means that if you have 2 motor vehicles insured by the same company, that your UM coverage is double the amount listed on the declaration page ($100,000 x 2 autos = $200,000).