If you live in the state of Florida and own a vehicle with at least four wheels, you are required to have auto insurance. Florida is considered a no fault state. In a no-fault state each driver’s insurance is responsible for their own medical bills in case of an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Florida no-fault insurance helps to reduce lawsuits resulting from auto accidents.

There are currently thirteen states in the United States with no-fault car insurance protection. No-fault does not eliminate your responsibility for an accident where you are at fault. However, it does provide the policyholder with coverage for injuries and property damage no matter who is at fault.

The Florida no-fault system basically deals with medical payments. This means that your insurance carrier will make the payments for your bodily injury claims regardless who was considered at fault in the accident. Usually the property damage would be paid for by the party at fault. In Florida you are required to have minimum coverage of $10,000 for personal injury protection, and $10,000 for property damage liability. The policy is required to be delivered or issued for delivery in Florida by an insurance carrier licensed to do business in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Though only personal injury protection and property damage liability are required by the state of Florida, there are other optional insurance coverage that should be considered. These optional types of coverage would include bodily injury liability, comprehensive, collision, and uninsured motorist liability. Also, if you are a seasonal resident of Florida, you would need to meet the state’s insurance requirements if you live there for at least 90 days of the year. The 90 days does not need to be consecutive.

Florida no-fault insurance benefits responsible drivers and responsible drivers will always carry insurance coverage. For those of you who may think you can go without purchasing coverage, be advised that it is illegal to drive a vehicle without insurance in the state of Florida. If you are caught driving without auto insurance, your license may be suspended, and you will have to pay a substantial fine to get it reinstated. It is much easier to obtain insurance than to deal with the costly consequences of an accident or a license suspension.