As Florida's most-populated cities, Jacksonville has plenty of drivers around — more than 700,000 according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. Naturally, with more drivers come more accident risks. Duval County reported 24,734 wrecks, 14,850 injuries and 151 fatalities in 2017 alone. Furthermore, there were more than 14,000 reports of property damage. The costs of these wrecks might be something your car insurance policy can help you pay, so long as you have the right coverage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the costs of car wreck injuries alone cost Floridians $32 million for medical bills and $2.99 billion in lost work costs in 2013. These costs can be financially straining or even cost-prohibitive. The good news is that your car insurance policy can help you out. Still, you must choose the most-appropriate coverage for you.
Florida requires mandatory coverage, but there are many other optional types of coverage available for most drivers. Therefore, you can benefit from having multiple types of coverage if you have a wreck.
Using Your Mandatory Coverage
As soon as you have a car wreck, it's important to protect yourself and others. Call the police to document the accident. Get out of the roadway, if possible, and only talk to the other involved drivers politely. Do not accept blame or place blame — that's the authorities' job.
Once you've contacted the police, call your insurer (even before leaving the scene). They can tell you how your coverage will apply to pay for your losses. All Florida drivers must carry at least:
- $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP coverage)
- $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL) Insurance
Therefore, if you have this coverage:
- Your PIP coverage will pay for your own injuries sustained in the wreck. The minimum limits will provide up to $10,000 for these costs, along with such losses as lost income. You can only file against another driver's liability insurance after you exceed these limits.
- PDL coverage pays the other driver's damage if you are found at fault for the accident. Therefore, your policy will compensate the other driver up to $10,000 for vehicle damage and similar losses if a wreck was deemed your fault.
All the same, you can have more assistance if you get more coverage within your policy. Consider increasing both your PIP and PDL coverage limits, and you'll be able to potentially receive more money from your policy, while lessening your out-of-pocket burden.
Additionally, consider adding such coverage as collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist protection to the policy. They can help you pay for your own damage costs should you need to repair a broken car. Your Insurance Place of Orange Park agent will know how to guide you in the appropriate direction.
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