Let’s say you’re driving around with just the state-required insurance and you get into a fender bender that’s your fault. What actually happens? Like, does your insurance cover anything for the other driver, or are you just totally on the hook? Curious if anyone’s been through this or knows how messy it can get.
If you’re rolling around Florida with just the bare minimum, you’ve basically got PIP (Personal Injury Protection) and Property Damage Liability. That means if you rear-end someone, your insurance will pay for their car repairs up to your limit—usually $10k. But if their car’s worth more, or if they want to sue for injuries, you could be on the hook for the rest. It’s not pretty, especially if you hit something fancy... ask me how I know.
What if you’re considered a “high-risk” driver already? Like, I’ve got a couple tickets and an at-fault accident on my record. If I’m only carrying the minimum in Florida, does that make me even more likely to get sued if I hit someone, or does it not really matter? Also, is there any way to protect yourself from getting totally wrecked financially if you can’t afford more coverage? I keep hearing about “umbrella policies” and stuff, but I’m not sure how that works if you’re already labeled high-risk.
And what happens if you can’t pay what the court says you owe after an accident? Do they just garnish your wages or can you actually lose your license? I feel like nobody ever explains what really happens after the insurance runs out...
I’ve wondered about this too, especially after my cousin got into a fender bender last year. He was already paying out the nose for insurance because of a DUI, and he only had the bare minimum. When the accident happened, his insurance covered almost nothing. The other driver’s medical bills were way more than what his policy would pay, so the rest went straight to him. He ended up with his wages garnished for a while, and his license got suspended until he set up a payment plan with the court. It was a mess.
But here’s where I’m not totally sure it’s just about being “high-risk.” Even if you have a squeaky clean record, if you only carry the minimum, you’re still on the hook for anything above that limit. The difference is, if you’re high-risk, you’re probably more likely to get into another accident (at least according to the insurance companies), so your odds of having to deal with this are higher. But anyone could get sued if they cause a big enough accident.
About umbrella policies—I always thought those were for people with a house and assets to protect, but I asked an agent once and apparently you usually need to have higher liability limits on your regular policy before you can even get an umbrella policy. If you’re high-risk, sometimes they won’t even offer it or it costs a fortune. Kind of feels like a catch-22.
One thing I don’t totally agree with is that you’ll automatically lose everything if you can’t pay. Courts can garnish wages or put liens on stuff, but they can’t take what you don’t have. Still, it’s not like they just let it go either—it follows you around for years.
I wish there was some middle ground between “bare minimum” and “crazy expensive full coverage,” but in Florida it seems like there isn’t much wiggle room if your record isn’t great. Just my two cents from watching my cousin go through it... definitely made me rethink how much coverage I carry, even though it stings to pay more every month.
The other driver’s medical bills were way more than what his policy would pay, so the rest went straight to him.
Title: What Happens If You Only Carry The Bare Minimum Car Insurance In Florida?
Yeah, I’ve been in a similar boat—SR22 on my record, so I’m stuck with the minimums because anything else is just out of reach. The thing that always gets me is how little the state minimum actually covers. In Florida, it’s just $10k for property damage and no bodily injury liability unless you’ve got a DUI or something. If you rear-end someone and they get hurt, your insurance isn’t paying their medical bills at all. It’s wild.
If you’re at fault and the other driver’s got injuries, you’re on the hook for everything above what PIP covers (which isn’t much). Even a minor accident can get expensive fast. I’ve heard stories about people getting sued for way more than they ever thought possible. Like, you think, “I don’t have much, what are they gonna take?” but wage garnishment is real, and it can follow you for years.
I get what you’re saying about umbrella policies too—they’re not really an option for folks like us. It’s kind of a lose-lose. The system feels stacked against people who can’t afford more coverage, but the risk of not having it is huge.
