Car Accident Insurance

Top 5 Factors that Raise Your Florida Car Insurance Rates

January 28, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

Flat-Iron-Miami Shopping for car insurance is certainly not something that people look forward to. But, it is important for people to know exactly what goes into the calculation of insurance rates.

To many, insurance policies can be a confusing jumble of technical words and differing prices that do not make any sense. There is, however, an actual logic to the process. Companies use complex algorithms based on personal factors to determine how likely it is that you will have an accident. The idea behind all of the factors is that the higher risk, the higher the rates.

Most people know that your insurance rate is highly affected by the amount of coverage a person chooses and the amount of deductibles a person chooses. In general, a person can reduce their rates by choosing lower amounts of coverage or by raising their deductibles.

Florida’s Fight Against Uninsured Motorists

January 28, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

Miami-Rooftop Florida may soon make some dramatic changes to the realm of auto insurance.

Auto insurance is not exactly an exciting topic of conversation, but several states around the U.S. have recognized that a significant portion of drivers are uninsured, putting drivers who are insured at high risk. A few states’ legislators have started considering investing considerable money in programs to help local governments combat this increasingly serious issue.

Just how bad is the problem? According to a 2018 study by the Insurance Research Council, an industry-funded not-for-profit research organization, which was co-sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group, almost thirteen percent of all U.S. motorists were uninsured in 2015. Put another way, almost one in eight drivers are uninsured. The 2015 rate was an increase from the 2010 rate which was just above twelve percent.

How Could Instacart Not Be Insured?

July 23, 2018 | Wolfson & Leon

You might be surprised by this but Instacart doesn’t provide commercial automobile insurance coverage for its drivers. As a result, most Instacart drivers will not be insured. The Instacart driver may have their own car insurance, but unless they disclosed to the insurer that they were using that vehicle for commercial purposes then the personal car insurer is likely to deny coverage.

The only remaining option is for the Instacart driver to purchase and pay for their own commercial policy of insurance – and that is extremely unlikely as it is not required by law and the cost of a commercial policy is prohibitive. After all, we are talking about hard-working people trying to hustle and make a few bucks by shopping and delivering food for people.

Instacart in Florida

Driving While Texting Legislation in Florida

January 18, 2018 | Wolfson & Leon

Unfortunately, it is common to see many people drive around Florida roads with their eyes fixed on the phone screen and typing with their thumbs, while not paying enough attention to what’s going on in front of them. Although everyone knows about the dangers of this habit, no one seems to care. Maybe it has something to do with driver’s carelessness, or maybe with weak Florida texting while driving laws as well. Unlike most American states, in the Sunshine State, a police officer cannot pull you off for doing any activity with your phone, no matter how dangerous it is.

Now that is about to change. A new bill aiming to hit drivers’ damaging texting habits and save lives from distracted driving is expected to be passed in the next few days. It will make texting while driving a primary offense, allowing law enforcement officers to stop reckless drivers guilty of this offense. With that, Florida will join other 43 states that regulate this issue in the same manner.

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Existing Florida Texting and Driving Laws

Florida has the Worst Drivers in the USA

August 31, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

rear_end_collision Maybe this isn’t news to you, but for the second year in a row Florida was ranked first in having the worst drivers in the country.

Miami car accident lawyers deal with the effects caused by bad drivers every day. Clients are faced with the ripple effect of an automobile crash – the property damage; the insurance companies; medical bills; and loss of income. Car crashes impact more than the driver and passengers. A car accident will likely affect families, friends and coworkers. That is why anyone involved in a car wreck should consult with the best Miami car accident attorney that they can find.

Florida – Home of the Second Lowest Number of Insured Drivers

Miami Lyft Driver Killed in DUI Accident

August 24, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

Car_crash_2 In March of 2017, a Lyft driver in Miami was killed in a Little Havana accident. The other driver was charged with DUI (Driving Under the Influence) for being high on crystal meth and cocaine. There were four passengers in the Lyft driver’s vehicle who were taken to the hospital. The family and survivors of the deceased driver and the passengers would benefit from the advice of a Lyft car accident attorney in Miami. These victims all face a potentially complex situation of insurance coverage.

Nicholas Castelao was ultimately charged with DUI manslaughter for driving while high on crystal meth. The Lyft driver he killed was Robert Torra. The accident happened in the residential area at the intersection of SW 25^th Avenue and SW 17^th Street. Castelao told a nurse at Jackson Memorial that he was high on meth. In addition, the investigating officers found a drug pipe near the vehicle after the accident. At the hospital, a nurse’s aide found 3 bags of drugs in the pockets of Castelao.

It is so sad that the selfish decision to drive while under the influence tragically impacted the Lyft driver and his four passengers. Not only were those folks affected, their families and friends also felt the impact. The unintended consequences of a tragic car accident extend far and wide.

Why People Hire Lawyers After Car Accidents

March 29, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

While you enjoy the insurance company commercials on television, you should also keep in mind that insurance companies do more than just advertise. They invest significant amounts of money in studying you and your behavior, actions and tendencies. One area that the insurance industry is most curious about is why people hire personal injury lawyers after car accidents.

The standard belief within insurance companies is that personal injury lawyers increase the cost of claims. Insurance companies measure the average cost per paid claim. This category is referred to as claim severity. Other measurements that every insurance company relies on include frequency and loss costs. Insurance industry executives are convinced that car accident attorneys negatively and significantly impact all claims costs and that results in higher premiums.

So, it is natural that insurance companies would spend some of their research and development money on trying to figure out why so many people hire lawyers after a car crash. Veterans in the industry believed for years that delays in processing claims often led people to hire attorneys. But a recent study brings that belief into question.

Accident with UberEATS Driver – Now What Do You Do?

February 10, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

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UberEATS is everywhere in South Florida now. There was a recent announcement that UberEATS will even deliver food from McDonalds. But what happens if you have an accident with an UberEATS driver? Will Uber insurance cover the UberEATS driver?

Our Miami UberEATS accident lawyers assure us that the same coverage that exists for Uber accidents should apply for any accident involving UberEATS.

Uber Insurance Coverage

Miami UberEATS Means Even More Uber Drivers

July 12, 2016 | Wolfson & Leon

Uber launched its new app called UberEATS in South Florida today. It opens the market for Uber drivers to deliver food from over 100 participating restaurants in the eastern corridor of South Florida from Brickell to Hollywood. Participating eating establishments include The Salty Donut, SoCalTaco, Salsa Fiesta, The Rice House of Kabob, Morgan’s Restaurant DIRT, Jar + Fork, Ms. Cheezious, Sushi Maki, the Daily Creative, Sliders, Roasters N Toasters and Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. Miami is the 19th city in the United States to launch UberEATS.

Miami Uber accident injury lawyers know that this means more Uber drivers on the road in Miami and Broward County. As miles and hours increase, so does the possibility of car accidents. The question is whether Uber will provide insurance coverage for its drivers and if so, when will that coverage apply. Presently, Uber is supposed to provide its drivers and passengers with insurance coverage of 1 million dollars. This insurance coverage is supposed to apply when the driver is engaged in the pick-up and delivery of passengers. But many questions remain for Uber car accident injury lawyers.

We expect there to be issues that will be litigated in the courts over the coming years. These questions will involve exclusions, coverage and limitations of liability. It is generally expected that Uber’s insurance coverage will apply when the driver accepts a ride request through the delivery of that passenger. But will there be coverage when the Uber driver has his app on and is available to accept rides but has no customers at that moment. What happens when a driver refuses a ride request and is involved in an accident? Will Uber’s 1 million dollar insurance cover that Uber driver?

Insurance Companies Blame Rate Hikes on Low Unemployment

May 22, 2016 | Wolfson & Leon

Lynne McChristian of the Insurance Information Institute recently told the Miami Herald that auto insurance rates are rising because of the drop in the unemployment rate as the main reason. “It’s an unintended consequence of low unemployment,” she said. “You have more people with jobs to go to.” That’s a new one for Miami car accident lawyers and their personal injury clients.

Four years ago, the Florida Legislature allegedly reformed the PIP (Personal Injury Protection) laws. As part of the reform deal, our insurance rates were supposed to drop. Car insurance rates dropped after the 2012 changes by 0.2% in 2013-2014. But in 2015-2015 those rates increased by 13.8% according to the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation.

Since January 2015, the insurance companies have raised automobile insurance rates an average of 15%. In fact Allstate has increased its PIP rates by 40 %.

Ms. Christian claims that average PIP claim in the last quarter of 2015 was $8280 which is close to the average in 2011 of $8,520 before the PIP reforms were instituted. Of course the insurance companies claim fraud is driving the rates higher in spite of the fact that these same insurance companies pushed through the reforms they wanted.

Insurance Company Statistics are Like Bikinis

Aaron Levenstein once said “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” Insurance companies are experts in using statistics to move their agenda