Mark Roman | November 10, 2017 | Insurance Companies
Changes in the Florida auto insurance system may happen soon, and Florida drivers may be better off for it.
Last year, Florida lawmakers pondered ditching our state’s beleaguered “no-fault” auto insurance system. That system, which requires drivers to initially use their own insurance to pay for things like medical bills and lost wages, has become increasingly unpopular. Lawmakers seriously considered replacing it with a “mandatory bodily injury” system. That system that would require drivers to buy coverage for injuries they cause to other motorists instead.
The legislature basically ran out of time to make that major change at the end of the last legislative session. However, the issue is likely to come up again this year, and it may be on a fast track through the lawmaking process. Just a few days ago, the Commerce Committee in the Florida house approved legislation to require drivers to carry insurance to protect others against injury. This paves the way for prompt consideration of a bill in January 2018.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we believe it’s time for this change to happen. Florida’s no fault system has become an outlier; while 48 states require drivers to carry coverage for injuries to others, Florida does not. The no-fault system is also expensive: despite several efforts at reform, increased premiums for no-fault benefits (referred to as personal injury protection, or “PIP”) have continued to drive up total auto insurance costs.
The no-fault system is counter-intuitive as well. Auto accident clients are often bewildered and aggravated when they learn that they must use their own auto insurance to pay for their injuries, even when another driver is clearly at fault. But the confusion isn’t just limited to clients. Many health care providers don’t know when they are supposed to send bills to auto insurance, creating billing and “coordination of benefits” headaches which have to be straightened out down the road.
Finally, and most fundamentally, changing to a fault-based system is more consistent with our general accepted ideas about personal responsibility. Our system of laws is based on the idea that a person who causes harm should be the one who has to pay for it. Requiring negligent drivers to financially protect others from the injuries they cause makes the most legal and moral sense.
In short, changing to a fault-based system will put the financial risk and responsibility squarely back where it belongs. It’s also likely to lower auto insurance premiums for people who drive responsibly.
We encourage Florida drivers to support the proposed changes, and let their lawmakers know that they do.
It’s time to junk the no-fault system in favor of something more sensible and fair.
Contact the Clearwater Personal Injury Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Clearwater. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442