A major problem that Florida drivers face every day that has gotten very little attention is that bodily injury coverage is not required for everyone who drives or owns a vehicle in this state. Motor vehicle insurance sounds like a boring topic; and by large it is. However, this issue impacts all of us to a degree that you would not believe.

1. It is mandatory for anyone who owns a vehicle registered in Florida to secure personal injury protection insurance which affords the insured $10,000 in medical/lost wages to cover their needs. The problem is that this coverage is for you; not the person you injure if you cause the accident. There is no obligation for you to purchase a bodily injury policy that would cover the victim you injure in an accident.

2. Many states require drivers and owners of vehicles to secure bodily injury coverage; but not Florida. Because insurance is expensive, the state doesn’t require this type of coverage. You must have insurance to cover yourself if hurt in a motor vehicle accident; but you don’t need coverage to pay for the person(s) you cause injuries to.

3. Most of the time, the person who doesn’t have bodily injury coverage also has no assets; which means, unless the injured non-fault party has uninsured motorist coverage (the victim’s insurance policy); they are unable to have the hospital care, lost earnings and pain & suffering paid for by the "at fault" driver.

4. Many of these issues could be under control if bodily injury coverage was mandatory for drivers and owners of vehicles registered in Florida. The "at fault" party’s insurance would be responsible to cover the losses of the accident victim(s).

5. Look at your auto policy and see if you are one of the many out there that drive around without proper bodily injury coverage. If so, you may want to set-up an appointment with your broker and reconsider your policy options.

Mark D. Dickstein is Managing Partner for The Dickstein Law Firm.

Please do not consider the content contained in this article as a substitute for actual legal advice from counsel who has been retained and/or consulted with, as most cases have their own unique set of facts and require detailed information to properly analyze and form an appropriate legal strategy. This article is intended for informational purposes only.