What happens if you only carry the bare minimum car insurance in Florida?

I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve carried just the minimum for years and never had an issue. Not saying it’s the smartest move, but with how tight things are lately, sometimes you just gotta roll the dice. That said, I do worry about what you mentioned—

“Ever seen what happens when someone gets sued for more than their coverage? Not pretty.”

Honestly, I’ve been in the same boat—just scraping by with the bare minimum. Knock on wood, no disasters yet. But I always wonder... has anyone here actually had to pay out of pocket after an accident? Or is it mostly just scary stories?

Here’s the deal with bare minimum insurance in Florida—been there, done that, and I’ve seen a couple friends get burned. Here’s what I’ve picked up along the way:

- Florida’s “minimum” is just $10k Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10k Property Damage Liability. That sounds like a lot until you realize how fast it disappears if something goes sideways.
- If you rear-end someone in a newer SUV or luxury car, $10k won’t even cover the bumper and sensors. Anything over that? You’re on the hook personally.
- Medical bills are where it gets wild. PIP covers your injuries up to $10k, but if you seriously hurt someone else and they sue for more, your personal assets could be at risk. Not super common, but it does happen—my cousin’s neighbor got sued after a fender bender turned into neck surgery.
- Rental cars and roadside stuff? Forget about it with minimum coverage. You’ll be paying out of pocket for all that.
- If you have any savings or own a house, you’re basically putting those on the table every time you drive.

I get why folks roll with the minimum—it’s cheap and feels fine until it isn’t. But honestly, after seeing what happened to my buddy (totaled a Tesla, owed like $18k after insurance), I upped mine a bit. Not saying everyone needs Cadillac coverage, but man... Florida drivers are wild, and accidents here aren’t exactly rare.

Not trying to scare anyone, just tossing in some real-world stuff I’ve seen. Sometimes those “scary stories” are actually just Tuesday afternoon in Miami traffic...

That’s a wild story about the Tesla—honestly, I never really thought about how fast $10k can vanish until you see the price of even a minor repair these days. Makes me wonder: has anyone here actually had to use their minimum coverage after a crash? Did it end up being a total nightmare, or was it manageable?

I’ve always wondered if bumping up your limits is really that much more expensive month-to-month, or if it just feels like it when you’re paying bills. For folks who do long road trips (or drive through those Miami rainstorms), does the peace of mind make it worth it? Or do most people just roll the dice and hope for the best?

Curious if there’s a sweet spot where you’re not overpaying but still covered enough for the “Tuesday afternoon in Miami” kind of chaos...

I hear you on those repair costs—my old Civic got rear-ended last year, and even with just the bare minimum coverage, the insurance barely touched the bill. I ended up paying out of pocket for a bunch of it, which sort of defeated the whole point of having insurance in the first place. It was a hassle, honestly, and made me rethink whether saving a few bucks a month was really worth it.

Thing is, when I looked at bumping up my coverage, it wasn’t as pricey as I expected. Like, maybe $20-30 more a month for way better limits. But then again, every time I see my insurance bill, I wonder if I’m just throwing money away unless something major happens.

I do a lot of driving through South Florida, and those random downpours are no joke. Has anyone actually had their insurance go to bat for them when it mattered? Or is it mostly just a headache no matter what you pay? I can’t tell if I’m being paranoid or just practical...