Jacksonville Car Wreck Attorney Discusses The Myth of “Full Coverage” Automobile Insurance

As a Jacksonville car accident lawyer, I often have clients confidently inform me that they have “full coverage” when it comes to their automobile insurance. Unfortunately, these clients are sometimes surprised and disappointed to later find out they did not have any coverage to compensate them for injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Bodily Injury Coverage

There is no such thing as “full coverage” when it comes to automobile insurance. Instead, insurance policies contain “limits” that the insurance company will pay for a specific loss. For example, a client may purchase $25,000 of bodily injury (BI) coverage that would compensate another person who was injured by the client. They could purchase $1,000,000 or more of this coverage if they chose to. However, this does not provide “full coverage” if the client themselves become injured. Actually, the BI coverage the client purchased does not provide any coverage for the client themselves if injured. Only the BI coverage of the driver that injured the client would be available to compensate the client for any injuries.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM)

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM) is coverage the client can purchase to make sure they are “covered” if another driver that has no, or inadequate, BI coverage, injures the client in an accident. Again, the term “full coverage” does not apply, as a monetary amount of “limits” are purchased. ($10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, etc.)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Neither BI nor UM coverage is required by law for driver’s in Florida. Only Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays the client’s medical bills up to $10,000, and Property Damage coverage, which pays the damage to someone else’s car if you are at fault, are required. Again, no such thing as “full coverage” applies here either; only the purchased limits are applicable to any loss.

The "Full Coverage" Myth

Perhaps the idea of “full coverage” originated in regards to purchasing collision and comprehensive coverages on one’s own vehicle if it were declared a total loss. In that case, the dealership may require “full coverage” be purchased to protect the lien holder in case of loss. But again, if the client owes more than the vehicle is worth, even collision and comprehensive coverage may not provide “full coverage” and gap insurance is recommended to cover any additional loss.

I recommend that all my clients purchase UM coverage in case of loss related to being injured by another driver. I certainly do not want them to be misled into thinking they have “full coverage” when it comes to automobile insurance.

John B. Arnold, Esquire

Burnetti, P.A.