Mark Roman | March 27, 2014 | Car Accidents

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our firm consists of lawyers, not auto insurance agents. Nonetheless, we often advise our clients to get a form of auto insurance called uninsured motorist coverage. That coverage pays in the place of the at-fault driver when that driver has (1) no insurance of their own, or (2) inadequate insurance to cover the injured person’s damages. Basically, it kicks in to pay an injured person’s damages when the responsible person won’t or can’t.

Some people have trouble understanding why they should pay for coverage to protect themselves from the negligence of others. Today’s insurance advertising illustrates why, for all the wrong reasons.

In a TV ad called “Lollipop,” a fictional former race car driver, J.J Hightail, talks about why one should buy Direct Auto Insurance. Hightail says he loves cars, but doesn’t love car insurance. “If the law didn’t make me have it, I wouldn’t,” he says. Hightail then explains that while he’ll buy the insurance the law requires, “I’m not paying more than I have to” because “that’s for suckers.” Extra coverage, according to Hightail, is “sugar-coated nonsense.”

Through this ad, Direct seems to be saying you’re foolish if you buy more than the legal mandatory minimum auto coverage. Unfortunately, that extra “sugar-coated nonsense” includes coverage for harm you cause to others through your own negligence. That type of insurance protection, usually referred to as bodily injury liability coverage, is not mandatory for most drivers in Florida. It is therefore, according to the logic of Hightail and Direct, an unnecessary coverage which is only “for suckers.”

In other words, we have an insurance company encouraging people to buy nothing more than the law requires. Implicitly, that means people who follow that suggestion will not be protecting others from the consequences of any driving mistake they make.

This is not to single out Direct. Many auto insurers now pitch their products with a focus on promised savings. For example, Progressive offers a name your price tool. Geico gears its advertising toward saving 15-percent and basically not giving money away. In fact, there is very little auto insurance advertising these days encouraging consumers to pay a little more for adequate coverage and legal protection.

Protect Yourself with Uninsured Motorist Coverage

The number of underinsured drivers on Florida roads is already alarming. With so much insurance advertising done in a race-to-the-bottom way, that number is not likely to get better any time soon. It could even get worse as people respond to current advertising by cutting corners on their auto insurance bill. In other words, the only person who might protect you from the negligence of others is you. That’s why we encourage our clients and friends to buy uninsured motorist coverage before they get out on the roads in Florida.

Contact the Clearwater Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.

We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442