Firm Practice

Firm News

Firm Library

Central Florida Personal Injuries & Accident Attorney

Other Personal Injury Websites and Blogs

Tort Burger - Hold the Reform

Some Important Auto Insurance Definitions

Bodily injury liability - This coverage pays for death or serious injury to others when you are legally liable for an accident involving your automobile. Your insurance company will pay for injuries up to the limits of your policy and provide legal representation if you get sued. This coverage may be extended to others who drive your vehicle with your permission.

Property Damage Liability - Property Damage Liability (PDL) pays for damage (up to the limit of the policy) that you or anyone covered under your policy cause to another person’s property through the use of a covered automobile. It only covers damage for which you or anyone insured under your policy are legally liable. The damage may involve a parked, running or rolling automobile. The term “property” is not limited to another vehicle, and may include a fence, telephone pole, or building. The terms and conditions of your policy determine whether PDL coverage applies to anyone using your vehicle.

Comprehensive - Provides coverage, subject to a deductible, for an insured's vehicle that is damaged by incidents that are not considered Collisions. For example, fire, theft (or attempted theft), vandalism, weather, or impacts with animals are just some types of Comprehensive losses.

Medical Payments - Also called "med-pay," this coverage pays for medical expenses for bodily injury up to the limit of your policy. It covers your medical expenses, plus those of your family members or passengers, regardless of fault. It applies whether you are in your automobile or someone else’s, or if you are hit by an automobile while walking or bicycling.

Collision - A car accident or car crash is an incident in which an automobile collides with anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings or trees, or in which the driver loses control of the vehicle and damages it in some other way, such as driving into a ditch or rolling over. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car crashes — also called road traffic accidents (RTAs), traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number. See World report on road traffic injury prevention

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM) - This coverage pays for bodily injuries to you, your family members and any other person occupying your covered automobile, should the injuries be caused by the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured motorist.

The following are examples in which UM coverage may apply:

1. if the at-fault party has no liability insurance,
2. if the at-fault party has liability coverage inadequate to pay for the injuries incurred, or
3. if injuries result from a hit-and-run vehicle.

UM pays for medical expenses and lost wages that you and your passengers may incur. This coverage also includes payment for pain and suffering if you have a permanent injury or death, up to the limit of the policy.

Negligent - The term negligent has become known as "failing to take proper care" while doing something. By this definition, most drivers are negligent every day, failing to pay 100% attention or take proper care while driving.

Comparative Fault - Partial defense that reduces the amount of damages that a plaintiff can recover in a negligence-based claim based upon the degree to which the plaintiff's own negligence contributed to cause the damages. When this defense is asserted, the fact-finder, usually a jury, must decide the degree to which the plaintiff's negligence versus the combined negligence of all sued defendants contributed to cause the plaintiff's damages.

Contributory Negligence – Complete defense that disallows any recovery by a plaintiff whose negligence contributed, even minimally (i.e. less than 1% at fault), to causing the damages. This defense only exists in three states (MD, VA and NC) and the District of Columbia. Luckily, it does not exist in Florida!

If you have any questions about any of this information, please contact Orlando Personal Injury and Accident Lawyer James Hart.

Ask Us a Question

Law Offices of James W. Hart
809 Irma Avenue, Suite 3
Orlando, FL 32803

Phone: 407-839-4340
Fax: 407-386-7474

Blog

view all