Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys
| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | South Florida Accident Attorneys |

What State has the Highest Auto Insurance Rates? Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys

We love living in south Florida and so it doesn’t surprise us that Florida often ranks very high in many polls, studies, and surveys. For example, here are some areas where we are proud to be recognized according to U.S. News and World Report:

#7 Quality Education

#5 Economy

#3 Fiscal Stability

We also rank #3 in a dubious category, and that is highest auto insurance premiums.

What causes premiums to be high or low? According to Insure.com several affect auto insurance rates including population density (rural areas are low) and weather. Also, the number of uninsured drivers will impact premiums because drivers who follow the rules wind up paying for those who don’t. The Insurance Research Council estimates that 23% of Florida drivers do not have insurance which is the 5th highest rate in the nation.

Competition is also a factor in the cost of automobile insurance. States with a high number of insurance companies fight hard to get Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneyscustomers and they tend to lower prices. For example, Ohio and Virginia are both high-density states but they have large numbers of insurance carriers, so their rates are reasonable.

Here are the top ten states and their average annual auto insurance premiums:

1. Michigan: $2,239 average annual premium
2. Louisiana: $2,126
3. Florida: $2,050
4. Rhode Island: $1,852
5. Connecticut: $1,831
6. Washington, D.C.: $1,827
7. California: $1,731
8. Georgia: $1,668
9. Delaware: $1,646
10. Texas: $1,589

South Florida Automobile, Motorcycle, and Truck Accident Attorney

We recommend that drivers carry the best quality insurance they can afford. Do your homework and compare, but if you’re ever involved in a serious accident you’ll be grateful if you are fully covered.

Should you be involved in an accident and you don’t think your insurance company is performing as it should to help you, let us know. We deal with insurance companies on a daily basis and it’s a good idea to have an experienced attorney on your side. Call us at (954) 356-0006, we’re here to help.

 

 

 

Fort Lauderdale Accident Lawyer
| lazaruslaw-2 | 0 Comments | AUTO ACCIDENTS, Uncategorized | , ,

What Does Florida PIP Insurance Cover? What Isn’t Covered?

Many People are Unaware What “Basic Coverage” Means

Fort Lauderdale Accident LawyerI recently had a conversation with young woman who was working at Starbuck’s. She was forlorn because of an auto accident she had on the way to work and said that her car would be in the shop for several days. She wondered aloud about getting a rental car while she was without her car, and I told her it would depend on her insurance. She said “I have PIP.”

I didn’t want to tell her that she would likely be getting a ride to work for a while because she was having a bad day already, but PIP coverage does not provide rental cars for drivers while their cars are being repaired. In fact PIP does not cover repairs. PIP stands for “personal injury protection” and covers medical expenses.

So many drivers are unaware of the facts as they pertain to auto insurance, we would like to help with some basic facts.

The 2016 Florida Statutes, Chapter 627, Section 736 is titled: Required personal injury protection benefits; exclusions; priority; claims – and you may read the section by clicking here.

Some basic information about PIP:

·         If you are a resident of Florida and you own a motor vehicle, you are required to purchase PIP. If you are a resident of Florida and own a motor vehicle, you are required to purchase PIP.  You are covered by PIP if you are the named insured.  You, the insured, are covered by PIP while driving your vehicle or when a passenger in another’s vehicle.  You are also covered while outside a motor vehicle if struck and injured by a motor vehicle.

·         Resident relatives who live with you, the insured, may be covered by your PIP benefits while they are driving your car, as passengers in your or another’s car, and while pedestrians if struck and injured by a motor vehicle.

·         Others who are injured while driving your insured motor vehicle or who are injured while a passenger in your insured motor vehicle or who are injured as a pedestrian when struck by your insured motor vehicle may be covered by your PIP.

·         If you or your insured relatives living with you are injured while outside Florida, and are in your insured motor vehicle, you and your insured relatives are covered under PIP as long as the injury occurs within the United States, its territories or possessions, or in Canada.

It is prudent to visit with an insurance agent and take the time to discuss exactly what you expect from your automobile insurance before you buy it. Benefits like towing, repair, and rental cars are certainly worthwhile but they cost more.

PIP usually covers $10,000 of medical expenses and many injuries sustained in accidents exceed that amount.

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been helping Floridians injured in automobile, truck, and motorcycle accidents for more than 20 years as qualified accident attorneys. We are committed to provide everyone with the information you need to stay as safe as possible, and to have the information you need to make informed decisions.

We are available to meet with you if you’ve been involved in an accident, and you may contact us by calling 954-356-0006 to arrange a free consultation.
Click here to view our contact page where you may request that we contact you online.