Does My Car Insurance Cover Me if I am a Pedestrian in Florida?

If you have a type of car insurance on your policy called uninsured motorist or “UM” coverage, you may have coverage for injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident. Depending on how much UM coverage you have, you may be covered for medical bills and pain and suffering, among other things.

A pedestrian personal injury accident happened on Nebraska avenue near the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, thirty minutes north of Riverview, today, December 22, 2019. The driver who struck the pedestrian causing the personal injury did not stop to assist and the driver has not been identified. This case is being investigated by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) as a hit and run.

The Frank Santini Law Firm expresses its sincere regrets and well wishes to the victim pedestrian being treated at St. Joseph’s Hospital. It is times like these when the medical treatment of personal injury victims means the most. But, we also take a moment during these tragic events to remind folks that they can protect themselves, even as pedestrians, with the right kind of car insurance.

Uninsured motorist coverage, also referred to as under-insured motorist coverage – “UM” insurance for short is a type of car insurance. UM coverage is often one of the first things people take off their policy to save money. For instance, be careful when Geico insurance offers 15 minutes to save 15% or more on car insurance that your UM coverage isn’t being dropped. Unfortunately, when situations like hit and runs happen, the Brandon personal injury accident victims have no recourse if they never find the hit and run driver . . . unless they have UM coverage. The UM coverage is designed specifically for Gibsonton car accident victims who are not at fault but the driver who is at fault is nowhere to be found or can be found but has little or no insurance. I carry $250,000 per driver / $500,000 per accident UM coverage on my Progressive car insurance. I didn’t use to carry uninsured driver car insurance. But, now I do because I’ve seen too many pedestrian car accidents in Tampa Bay and elsewhere in Florida in which victims were left holding the bag because they had no recourse without the UM coverage.

If you or a loved one suffered serious personal injuries in a car accident and you have questions about whether your UM coverage can help pay for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages, call our Riverview car accident lawyers for a free consultation. Our car insurance attorneys in Riverview will help you decipher your policy and help you get justice. Our Tampa Bay personal injury attorneys are always available to visit our prospective clients in their hospital room or home if they are unable to make it to our office. Call us today at (813) 445-6121.