By Susan Melony
All it takes is for a tiny rock to bounce off your windshield for a crack to appear. Your windshield can even break or shatter and repairs are expensive. Replacing a broken windshield also isn’t cheap and not everyone can afford the unexpected costs. Drivers in the Sunshine State may not need to worry about paying out of their pockets for windshield repairs.
However, navigating Florida’s windshield repair law can be a bit confusing, especially since you’re dealing with insurance policies. Before breaking out your credit card to cover your broken windshield, take a minute to see if Florida will cover the costs.
Florida’s free windshield repair statute
The Sunshine State is taking steps to reduce vehicle accident rates. Since cracked and shattered windshields are a driving hazard, Florida is encouraging drivers to stop putting off repairs. Under Florida Statute §627.7288, if you’re carrying comprehensive coverage you can skip paying the insurance deductible.
Yep, your comprehensive auto insurance policy should take care of all of the repair and/or replacement costs. This brings us to Florida’s insurance requirements for drivers.
What are Florida’s minimum insurance requirements?
The Sunshine State requires all drivers to at least meet the minimum car insurance requirements. If your vehicle has four wheels, you must have both property damage liability (PDL) and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
Your liability insurance covers damage you cause to someone else’s property, up to your policy’s cap. PIP covers up to 80% of medical expenses or up to your policy’s limits, whichever comes first. While PDL doesn’t touch your property damage expenses, PIP covers part of your medical costs.
PIP can also cover injury costs for any passengers in your vehicle. Your PIP policy doesn’t cover the other driver’s medical costs, even if you’re responsible for causing the accident. Essentially, all involved drivers turn to their PIP policy to cover injury-related costs.
If you’re a Florida resident, you must have a minimum of $10,000 in PIP and the same amount in PDL coverage. Your minimum insurance requirements jump a bit if your vehicle is a registered taxi. You must carry at least $125,000 per person in injury coverage, $250,000 per accident, and $50,000 for (PDL) coverage.
While meeting the Sunshine State’s minimum car insurance requirements keeps you legal, you also have gaps in your coverage. This includes not having coverage under Florida’s free windshield repair law.
Common types of auto insurance available in Florida
You’re perfectly legal only carrying minimum liability auto insurance, however, you may be leaving yourself open to potential lawsuits. If you’re liable for the car collision, you’re on the hook for all of the damages.
Minimum liability insurance only covers damage to the other driver’s property. Since the minimum coverage amount is only $10,000, there’s a good chance all of the property damages expenses aren’t covered. The same applies to your PIP coverage. Your passengers may be left with outstanding medical costs. We haven’t even gotten to your financial losses.
Only a portion of your medical costs are covered by PIP. If you want to avoid paying huge out-of-pocket expenses, it’s a good idea to up your vehicle’s insurance coverage. Florida gives drivers a few additional insurance options. This can make it easier to find something that fits your monthly budget.
Comprehensive auto insurance
This isn’t quite the same as a full-coverage car insurance policy. Full coverage usually takes care of your economic damages like medical expenses, property damage costs, and possibly lost income. You turn to your policy when you hit the at-fault driver’s policy cap. If the accident is caused by a non-insured driver, your full coverage insurance usually takes care of your financial losses.
However, if a tree branch falls on your car, your full coverage policy probably isn’t going to pick up the repair tab. This is when you turn to your comprehensive auto insurance policy. This type of insurance covers most types of vehicle damage not caused by another driver’s negligence. Yep, adding comprehensive insurance can be pricey but sometimes the cost is worth the extra coverage. Don’t forget, only comprehensive insurance covers all windshield repair/replacement costs.
Bodily injury insurance (BI)
You already know if your vehicle is registered as a taxi, you must carry bodily injury liability insurance. Don’t confuse this type of insurance with your PIP coverage. This type of policy isn’t going to take care of any of your medical expenses. This is what your PIP coverage is for.
Chances are, the other driver is going to have medical costs not covered by their PIP policy. Remember, at the most, PIP only covers 80% of all medical costs. If you’re liable for the vehicle accident, the other driver can sue you for the remaining damages. This is when BI insurance kicks in. The policy picks up where PIP leaves off.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UI/UM)
Florida holds an alarming record for its percentage of uninsured drivers. Ranked 6th in the nation, an estimated one out of every five drivers aren’t carrying auto insurance. If an accident occurs, recovering financial compensation from an uninsured motorist is tough.
Instead of filing an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, you’re going after the uninsured motorist for compensation. In other words, you’re filing a personal injury lawsuit and there’s no guarantee the other driver has the funds to cover your financial award.
The same problem can pop up when drivers are only meeting Florida’s minimum vehicle insurance requirements. There’s a good chance, the at-fault driver’s policy isn’t large enough to cover all of your damages. This means you’re filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver in civil court.
Uninsured motorist coverage (UI) kicks in to cover your financial losses when the at-fault driver isn’t following state car insurance laws. Underinsured motorist coverage (UM) takes care of your damages when you hit the limits of the at-fault driver’s policy.
Are you carrying enough of the right type of auto insurance?
Figuring out how much auto insurance you really need can be tricky. You don’t want to overpay for a policy but you also don’t want to be stuck with expenses after a care accident. Talking to an insurance agent can give you some clarification. If you’re involved in a vehicle collision, make an appointment with a Florida accident attorney.
