Dennis  Hernandez

So, what’s the difference between BI and UM coverage, and
why should you have these coverages on your vehicle
insurance?

Essentially, bodily injury (BI) cover other people’s injuries, and uninsured
motorist (UM) cover your own injuries. Both BI and UM insurance coverage are
not required by the state of Florida. Since they’re not required, you may be
inclined to think you don’t really need them. However, both types of coverage
are important to protect you if you’re ever involved in an accident. BI pays for
the serious injury or death in an accident where you’re at fault to some degree. If
someone sues you for an accident, they will be going after your BI insurance
instead of you and your personal assets.

UM pays for your injuries when another driver is at fault and doesn’t have BI
coverage or any insurance at all. If an at-fault driver has insurance, but not
enough to cover your injuries, but not enough to cover your injuries, you can
make a claim under you own UM policy to save you from paying out of pocket.
Florida has the highest rate of uninsured drivers in the nation. If you’re involved
in an accident, there is a 1 in 4 chance the other party won’t have insurance.
That means there’s a 1 in 4 chance you will need to make a claim under your
own UM policy to cover your injuries. With the average cost for a crash
resulting in a non-capacitating injury coming out to $21,000 you won’t want to
be paying those costs out of pocket. Florida has the highest rate of motorcycle
accidents in the country, but that fact won’t keep us from riding. Make sure you
have the right kind of coverage to protect yourself, regardless of who’s at fault
in an accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call Dennis Hernandez &
Associates, P.A.