The Importance of Uninsured Motorist in Florida
According to the FLHSMV.gov, nearly 900,000 registered vehicles are currently uninsured as of 2025. For law-abiding citizens, this creates a real danger: being injured by someone who has no insurance to pay for your losses. In light of this, uninsured/underinsured (UM) coverage becomes one of the most important parts of your auto policy, because it steps in to cover you when the at-fault driver has little or no insurance. Without UM coverage, you may be left paying out of pocket for medical bills, lost wages, and other damage even when you did nothing wrong.
What is UM Coverage?
UM coverage is a part of your auto insurance that protects you when the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough, or any, insurance to pay for the harm they cause. If an uninsured or underinsured driver crashes into you and it’s their fault, UM coverage steps in and pays for things like your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, up to your policy limits. In many policies, UM can also help if you are hurt in a hit-and-run, where the at-fault driver flees and you cannot make a claim against their insurance.
Why Does UM Coverage Matter?
Without UM coverage, you may have to rely only on your PIP and health insurance, or try to collect personally from the at-fault driver, who often has few assets. UM coverage is essentially, “backup” insurance you buy for yourself, so you are not financially ruined just because the person who hit you chose to ignore the law or carry bare-bones coverage.
More Information on UM Coverage
UM coverage can pay for medical expenses, future treatment, pain and suffering and other non-economic damages that PIP and basic coverages may not fully address when the at-fault driver has no or too little insurance. It can also pay for lost wages and loss of earning capacity if your injuries keep you out of work.
Remember that many insurers allow you to match your UM limits to your bodily injury limits, which is often a smart baseline because it reflects the level of protection you think others deserve from you. UM coverage is usually relatively inexpensive compared to the protection it provides, especially in Florida, a state with a high number of uninsured drivers. UM coverage is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to protect yourself and your family from other drivers’ bad choices, so it is coverage you do not want to go without.