Reader’s Question:

I live in Brandon,. I am carpooling with four other people on my way to work every day. Another driver crashed into the rear of my car and he was clearly the one at-fault. The sad thing was one of my passengers was injured. And what was worse, the at-fault driver only has minimum bodily injury liability insurance which is not enough to cover for medical expenses. What would happen?

Matthew

Brandon, FL

It’s a sad thing to be in an accident where you’re not the only one involved. Most states require that you purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which is the insurance coverage that pays for medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering that you or any of your passengers incur from an accident in your car. Your state is one of the “No-Fault” states which may mean that both you and the driver who hit your car are off the hook. Auto insurance companies that are in No-Fault states must have must pay medical bills for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the accident.

In FL, the minimum liability limits are $10,000 for injury liability for one person in an accident, $20,000 for all injuries in an accident, and $10,000 for property damage in an accident. After the at-fault party’s liability coverage has been consumed, your PIP coverage would kick in and pay for the rest of the damages. If the medical bills exceed your PIP insurance, your passenger can sue the other driver for the rest of the damages. If you’re looking for cheaper auto insurance rates, this website can help you easily get auto insurance quotes in Brandon, FL. I’m recommending it.