When the Other Driver Has No Insurance or Too Little

Identify the different coverage questions

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage concerns qualifying bodily-injury losses involving an at-fault driver with no applicable bodily-injury coverage or insufficient limits. It is different from collision coverage for your vehicle and from PIP benefits. Coverage can be rejected or selected at lower limits under Florida law. Do not assume it exists because a policy is described as “full coverage.”

Gather more than the declarations page

Who qualifies as an insured and which limits may apply require a policy-specific review. Several vehicles or policies do not automatically produce a particular recovery.

• The complete policy and endorsements in effect on the crash date.
• Any signed UM selection, rejection, or non-stacking forms.
• Policies covering vehicles in your household and information about who lived there.
• The other insurer’s coverage correspondence and proposed releases.
• Records of injuries, treatment, missed work, and out-of-pocket expenses.

Get advice before releasing another party

A proposed settlement can affect more than the claim against the other driver. Before signing, ask whether another insurer needs notice, consent, or an opportunity to act. Preserve each letter and the date received.

A coverage review should address fault, the connection between the crash and injuries, available limits, policy conditions, and the proposed settlement terms. Neither the existence of a policy nor its stated limit guarantees a payment.