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"Although UM (uninsured/underinsured) insurance is not mandatory in Florida, many people realize its importance when it is too late.  UM covers medical, lost wages, and pain and suffering after PIP (personal insurance protection) has been exhausted and when an at-fault driver has been determined to have no, or not enough, insurance," says Naples Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

UM may be "Stacked" or "Non-Stacked".

Stacked insurance?  Non-stacked insurance?  What is the difference? In terms of what the insurance company could pay when you are in an accident, it may mean a lot. 

Non-stacked insurance treats UM coverage limits separately regardless of the number of cars you insure under one or more policies. It only covers the vehicle you are in at the time of an accident. 

Stacked insurance will increase the UM coverage limits in relation to how many cars you insure.  In Florida you have two options for stacked insurance - stacking across policies or within one policy.

Stacking within one policy - If you have 2 cars in one policy with UM insurance of $25,000 each and are in an accident, your insurance coverage limit is now $50,000. In this example, it doubles.

Stacking across policies - If you have a car and a truck insured on different policies, say, the truck is insured for $50,000 UM insurance and the car in a separate policy is insured for $25,000 UM insurance, and you have an accident in the truck, your coverage limit would now be $75,000.

According to the nonprofit Insurance Research Council nearly 24% of all Florida drivers do not have insurance - approximately one in every four drivers.  Florida is one of the top five states with uninsured drivers.  Insure.com estimates that because of its uninsured drivers, Floridians pay, on average, $1,476 per year for insurance coverage.

"With these statistics," says Attorney Spivey, "UM insurance is even more crucial and choosing carefully between 'Stacked' and 'Non-Stacked' is an important financial consideration."

Always choose stacking UM coverage with a minimum of $300,000 coverage (preferably more).  Never reject UM coverage, and never sign the form that says, “You are electing not to purchase valuable coverage…” (this is known as a UM waiver), because by signing this you are either rejecting UM coverage or selecting UM coverage with limits lower than your bodily injury coverage.  Signing this waiver form could have devastating consequences to you or a family member if an accident occurred.

Fort Myers Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just 1 percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at  239. 337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com  for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.