Specializing in Florida Homeowners, Workers Compensation, Business, and Auto Insurance!

Automobile Insurance    (To Quote Form)

In 2006 the "Florida No-Fault" Law, was set to expire. It was "Sun Downed" to the next legislative session in 2007. In the 2007 legislative session, the law was set for a "special session" in the summer (Yet to be heard as of this writing). The "Florida No-Fault Law" was made compulsory (Everybody must have it by law) in the 70's to allow for easier access to medical payments after an accident and to help with the rising amount of hospitals that were going unpaid by uninsured drivers. This coverage is called "Personal Injury Protection" or "PIP". In the 80's and 90's insurance fraud ran rampant because of this law. There are many who believe that if the "No-Fault law" would be allowed to expire, then Floridians could enjoy as much as a 20% savings on there Auto Insurance.

The "Florida No-Fault Law" means, the first $10,000 of your medical bills must be paid by your own insurance carrier - Regardless of Fault (Hence, No Fault)! You are allowed to take a maximum of a $1,000 deductible (In the 70's, the maximum deductible was $8,000, then lowered to $2000 in the 80's, and $1000 in the past few years). This deductible was intended for those who had health insurance or an alternative coverage to offset the $1000 deductible. If you do not have health insurance, we would recommend that you do not take ANY deductible as this form of medical insurance is the most likely to happen, but the least expensive. Also covered under this law is that, you must cover at least the first $10,000 of Property Damage Liability (Damage to another's property or auto) that you can become liable for. This type of coverage became compulsory in October 1st of 1987.

Another important law that needs to be explained is the "Florida Financial Responsibility Law". It states that a Florida Resident cannot be sued by another Florida Resident if they have  at least $10,000 per person / $20,000 per accident (Bodily Injury Liability) of coverage for bodily injuries that they are liable for, unless the "Tort Thresholds" ( [1] Perminant and significant injuries causing scarring or disfigurement, [2] perminant and significant injuries other than scarring or disfigurement, [3] loss of limb, or [4] loss of life) have occurred . If you do not have this coverage, you will be required to pay for the other parties medical payments (100%), Household services, such as maid service, cleaning, and personal maintenance (100%), Loss of Income (60%), and the Cost of litigation (100%). The State will take your Driver's License and your vehicle registration until you pay the other party back. Then the State will make you carry this coverage for the next three years and make you carry an SR-22 to prove it. This "Florida Financial Responsibility Law" is not compulsory (You do not need to carry this by law). We would highly recommend you carry this coverage. Carry enough liability to offset your net worth in the event a lawsuit were to occur. Consult with your family attorney or CPA to find the correct amount of coverage for you.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage covers you in the event that someone hits you and is (1) uninsured, (2) under-insured, (3) insured by an insolvent carrier, or (4) Hit and Run Driver. This coverage only pays for bodily injuries. The same limits that are carried on your Bodily Injury Liability should be selected here, but some people elect to carry less. Uninsured Motorist can be either "Stacked" or "Non-Stacked" which means that, if you have $10,000 / $20,000 in coverage and own two cars, you could "Stack" the coverages in the event of an accident and have $20,000 / $40,000 if you elected "Stacked" Coverage. If you elected "Non-Stacked", then the coverage in the same scenario would cover only $10,000 per person injured in the accident and $20,000 for all covered people injured in the entire accident. Again, if you have a family attorney, you would want to consult them to see if you want the coverage, the limits that you should carry, and whether to elect stacked or non-stacked coverage.

Medical Payments is a coverage that covers you or anybody injured in an accident, regardless of fault. It pays to anybody injured in an accident for $500, $1000, $2000, or $5000. this coverage pays primary to any coverage, including PIP and Workers Compensation.

All the above coverages are considered your "Liability Section" of your "Personal Automobile Policy". We are now going to discuss the "Physical Damage Section" of your "Personal Automobile Policy".

Comprehensive Insurance coverage covers your covered automobile in the event of: Fire, Theft, Vandalism, or Acts from God. It covers from your deductible to the "Actual Cash Value" or "ACV". The ACV of your vehicle is the "Cost of the auto new less deprecation. If your automobile is a collectible, you might want to get an appraisal done on your vehicle. We do offer some companies that will write your auto on an "Stated Value" or an "Appraised Value". This coverage cost does not vary much when placing a high deductible on it. The difference between a $250 deductible and a $1000 deductible might only be $50 for the year. Please feel free to ask us the difference by requesting different deductibles. This coverage is not required by law, but if you have a lien on your auto from your bank or another lending institution, they will require it.

Collision Insurance covers the body of your auto from any upset. In the event your car is involved in an accident, this coverage pays for the repair to the body of your vehicle. Again, like Comprehensive coverage, this coverage is not required by law, but if you owe money on your vehicle, the lien holder will require this coverage. Collision Insurance is the highest costing section of your automobile policy. It is advisable to carry the highest deductible that you can afford comfortably in the event of an accident. This coverage is written on an ACV basis, however, we have some companies that will write this coverage on a "Appraised" or "Stated" value if your car is a collectible. Please watch the cost of this coverage throughout the years. At one point, it becomes not sensible to keep this coverage because of the value of your auto and the cost to carry the coverage.

Towing and Rental coverage is available through most of our insurance carriers at a reasonable cost. For the value, it is still advantageous to acquire this coverage through a "Motor Club" or "Automobile Association of America" ("AAA"). The coverage from these motor clubs are more comprehensive and are at a reduced rate from the insurance carriers. Please feel free to ask us about this coverage if you would like to have it. Beware that a lot of the "Towing and Rental Coverages" are on a reimbursement basis. Most motor clubs are charged directly for the services that you have had rendered to your automobile.

The above information is general. Please review your policy for the exact coverage that you have. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 800-763-6118 or 941-629-9199. Our agents will find the answers to the questions that you have and will help you to get the coverage that you need. Automobile insurance is expensive and it is important that you know what your getting before the accident happens. It is one of the top three largest purchases that all people will make this year. BE sure to call us if you have any questions or if there is an immediate need for your insurance.