Florida Auto Insurance – Dade City, San Antonio, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel

We know that Florida auto insurance can be very confusing. With so many different coverage options, it’s hard to tell what you really need or don’t need. Florida auto insurance shouldn’t be that difficult. We provide easy to use interactive tools here and answer many of the common questions we receive regarding Florida auto insurance policies. Get an auto insurance quote online, visit our Dade City office, or get a quote over the phone.

WHAT ARE THE FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS?

*Be sure to discuss this with your insurance professional. In order to register your Florida auto there are very minimal insurance requirements. These minimal insurance requirements could leave you extremely vulnerable in the event you are involved in an accident in Florida.
Florida Auto Insurance Requirements:

• You are only required to carry $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP).
• As well as $10,000 of property damage liability.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)This Florida auto insurance protection pays for injuries to people in your auto, regardless of who is at fault for the accident (No-fault coverage). It offers up to $10,000. PIP pays:

• 80% of medical expenses for people in your auto.
• 60% of any loss of wages.
• And also pays up to a $5,000 death benefit.

Property Damage Liability. This Florida auto insurance pays for the damage to someone else’s property caused by you or the driver of your auto.

• Examples of property damage could include other autos, fences, utility poles, buildings, etc.

If you cause an accident and you only carry the minimum Florida auto insurance requirements: Your minimum Florida auto insurance policy would pay up to $10,000 to repair the damage you caused to the other party (Property damage liability). If you or a passenger get injured in the accident and need to see a doctor your Personal Injury Protection will pay 80% of your medical bills up to $10,000 less any deductible that may apply. That’s all you get for the minimum Florida auto insurance requirements!
What if you need more? You could have purchased more, but this is all the minimum Florida auto insurance requirement covers. If you injured someone and need to pay for their medical expenses, your on your own. Repairs for damage to your auto comes out of your pocket. If you need to be towed from the accident scene or need a rental car? You guessed it. Your on your own. So review this very carefully.
*Notice that Bodily Injury Liability insurance is not required to register an auto under minimum Florida auto insurance requirements. However, if you are injure someone in an accident you are required to have bodily injury coverage in order to meet the requirements of the “FLORIDA RESPONSIBILITY LAW”. If you do not have bodily injury liability coverage at the time of the accident you could be responsible for paying tens of thousands of dollars, out of your own pocket, to the individuals you may have injured. The state of Florida can suspend your driver’s license until all restitution is paid. That’s why Statewide Insurance and the Insurance Information Institute recommend carrying Florida auto insurance coverage of $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person and $300,000 per accident as well as $100,000 in property damage liability.
Bodily Injury Liability

• Pays for injury you cause to others while driving your auto. This also pays for your legal expenses incurred.
• Is strongly recommended.
• If you are at fault for an accident, and do not carry bodily injury, your license will be suspended until you can pay back restitution to the injured party. You will also be required to carry bodily injury and a financial responsibility filing for 3 years.

WHAT OTHER COVERAGES ARE AVAILABLE ON A FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE POLICY?

• Medical payments. Most carriers offer up to $10,000 for medical payments. This Florida auto insurance coverage pays for medical expenses due to an auto related injury.
• Uninsured motorist. This Florida auto insurance coverage pays for medical expenses to you and or your passengers in the event you are injured by someone who does not have any insurance or does not have enough insurance to pay for your your injuries they caused. It also pays for lost wages and a death benefit up to the limit you choose. You cannot carry more uninsured motorist coverage than you carry for bodily injury liability, so keep that in mind when you make your purchase.
• Comprehensive coverage. This Florida auto insurance pays for damages to your auto outside of an accident. For example, theft, vandalism, windstorm, or if you strike an animal. Comprehensive also covers damage to your glass. In Florida if your front windshield is damaged, your carrier will replace it at a zero deductible regardless of the deductible you choose for this coverage.
• Collision coverage. This Florida auto insurance pays for damage to your auto when it is involved in a collision.
• Car rental coverage. This Florida auto insurance pays or helps pay for a rental vehicle while your auto is being repaired due to damage covered under the comprehensive or collision portion of your policy.
• Towing and labor. This Florida auto insurance pays for towing or service costs associated with a breakdown or locksmith in the event you lock your keys in your car.
• Gap coverage. If your auto is totaled and you owe more than what the auto is worth, the gap coverage will pay off the loan amount.

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON MY FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE?

• The best way to save money on your Florida auto insurance is to shop around. Our experts have access to more than 10 top Florida auto insurance companies. Get a quote online, get a quote over the phone, or visit our office in Dade City, FL!
• Mature Driver. If you are 55 or older, you may qualify for a discount by successfully completing an accident prevention course. For more information, contact the AARP at 1-888-687-2277, or the National Safety Council at 1-800-621-7615.
• Retired? If you have retired or otherwise do not earn wages, you may reduce your Florida auto insurance premium by excluding coverage for lost wages.
• Deductible. You may increase your deductible in order to reduce your premium, but you should carefully consider such factors as how much of a discount you will receive for a given deductible, and how much you can afford to pay for each claim.
• Good driver discounts. Many Florida auto insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders with accident free driving records and violations for an extended period of time.
• Older Vehicle. You may drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older vehicles because of their decreased value, unless a lienholder, such as a bank, requires it.
• Restraint Systems and Anti-theft Devices. Florida auto insurance companies may offer discounts for certain
  equipment such as anti-lock brakes, air bags, anti-theft devices or vehicle-recovery systems.
• Type of auto. Newer, more expensive cars are more costly to repair or replace, and Florida auto insurance prices reflect this.
• Territory. Where you keep and drive the auto, population, and the number of accidents in an area can all affect risk. This is why drivers in heavily populated cities will generally pay more for Florida auto insurance than rural drivers.
• Usage. Someone who drives fewer miles, say only to work or for pleasure, will pay lower rates than someone who puts many miles on or uses their auto for commercial purposes.
• Gender. Statistics show that men have twice as many fatal accidents as women. Florida auto insurance companies typically charge higher premiums for males, especially those younger than 25.
• Age. Statistically, Florida drivers younger than 25
  or older than 65 make up a larger share of people involved in accidents, and may pay higher premiums.
• Credit history. Florida auto insurance companies are permitted to use credit history as one of the factors that determine risk, and therefore premium cost.

HOW DOES FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE PAY IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT?

• If you are at fault for the accident your Florida auto insurance policy should pay the damages to the other party, under your property damage liability, up to the limit you have purchased. If you do not have enough insurance to cover these expenses you could be responsible for the remaining expenses out of pocket. If you injure the other party, your bodily injury liability should pay for their medical expenses and lost wages, up to the limit you have purchased. If your bodily injury limit is not enough to cover their medical expenses you could again be liable for paying those additional expenses on your own. With soaring medical costs and the costs of vehicles rising it is very important to make sure you have enough liability to protect you.
• If someone in your vehicle is injured, the first coverage to respond is always your personal injury protection. This pays whether you are the driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian involved in an accident regardless of who is at fault. See payout information for PIP above.
• The damage to your auto should be covered by your collision coverage. This will pay for the cost of damages less your deductible. If you carry towing coverage your policy will pay the limit to have your auto towed. If you carry car rental coverage and need a rental auto while your auto is being repaired this expense would be covered up to the limit as well.

• If the other party is at fault for the accident the other party’s Florida auto insurance is liable to pick up the tab.(If they are insured)
• If you are injured you are still required to file a personal injury claim with your Florida auto insurance company. In Florida, since we are a no fault state, we are each required to pay the first $10,000 of our own medical bills before you can go after the other party. Our PIP pays this first $10,000 expense, however, it only pays 80% of medical expenses. This means you could pay 20% of up to $10,000 out of your own pocket before the other party pays anything. This is why it is important to carry medical payments. Medical payments pays up to the limit you carry with no percentages, deductibles, or co-pays. If you carry at least $2,000 in medical payments it should be sufficient to cover your 20% responsibility.
• If your injuries exceed the $10,000 PIP covers, the other party’s bodily injury liability should pay the overages for those expenses as well as lost wages.
• As for damages to your auto, the other party’s property damage liability should pay for the cost to repair your auto as well as your towing expenses and car rental expenses.
• If you are injured your PIP and medical payments still apply as above.
• If your injuries exceed the $10,000 PIP covers, this is where uninsured motorist would begin to pay additional medical costs and lost wages.
• As for damages to your auto, you would have to file against your Florida auto insurance company under the collision coverage of your policy and your deductible would apply. You would also need to file against your Florida auto insurance company if you carry car rental or towing coverages.

THE FLORIDA FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LAW:

“Requires that any person at fault in a crash resulting in bodily injury and property damage to others must have in effect at the time of the crash full liability Florida auto insurance coverage. This coverage includes minimum limits of bodily injury liability of $10,000 per person, $20,000 per crash, $10,000 property damage liability per crash, and personal injury protection limits of $10,000 per person per crash.”
Source: Bureau of Financial Responsibility

BEST RATED FLORIDA AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR 2023:

1. Travelers Auto Insurance; Great Claims service, Many discounts available, Accident Forgiveness available, Disappearing Deductible available.
2. Allstate Auto Insurance; Great claims service, Multiple Accident’s Forgiven available.
3. Progressive Auto Insurance; Great Claims service, very competitive rates.
4. Bristol West is a Farmer’s Insurance company that offers auto insurance in Florida. You can get an instant online quote from them by clicking This Link.