If you manage to walk away from a car crash without any broken bones, blunt force trauma or other serious injuries, you may consider yourself quite fortunate. However, just because you don’t have medical expenses doesn’t mean there won’t be substantial financial fallout from the collision.
Damage to your vehicle can often be a very expensive part of a crash, especially if you have a foreign, late model or luxury vehicle. The greater the value of your vehicle and the extent of the damage incurred in the crash, the more it will likely cost to repair or replace it.
If you have to deal with major damage to your vehicle after a crash caused by another driver, it’s only natural to wonder who’s going to cover those expenses.
The insurance of the driver responsible should cover property damage
Under Florida law, drivers have to carry both personal injury liability protection and property damage liability protection. In the event that a driver causes a crash that hurts someone or damages their property, their motor vehicle policy covers the financial costs for which they would be liable, at least up to a certain amount.
The lowest amount of property damage coverage that a driver can carry in Florida is $10,000. Unfortunately, that might mean that the costs you incur are far higher than the coverage, especially if you have a newer vehicle or if the insurance adjuster declares your vehicle totaled.
Also, you could be at risk for a crash caused by a driver without insurance, as Florida has the highest rate of uninsured drivers. In that case, only drivers with uninsured driver coverage can rely on their insurance companies for help.
Personal injury lawsuits protect you when insurance does not
In the event that the other driver either didn’t have insurance or only carried a minimum amount of coverage that won’t offset all of the costs you’ve suffered, bringing a personal lawsuit against the driver who caused the crash might be the only option left to recover your damages. Carrying enough insurance of your own to protect you from uninsured or underinsured drivers can help, but you should never have to bear the financial burden of damage caused by someone else.