All Florida motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts need to understand two things: (1) why you need uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage and (2) what does it mean when it is stacked versus unstacked. If you have ever taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, the instructor will teach you that riding has its risks. You have to manage those risks. Understanding insurance coverage is exactly that.
Why Do You Need Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Many riders (and car drivers) have the skewed view that when someone else causes a crash he or she will be responsible for damages. As a practical matter, an individual that causes a crash likely only has whatever insurance is on their vehicle to cover damages.
The honest truth is that most are hard-working Americans that make a mistake and simply don’t have the money past what is available on their insurance policy. Most individuals don’t have much insurance at all. If they have insurance, they carry the bare minimum. IN FLORIDA, THE BARE MINIMUM DOES NOT EVEN COVER THE RIDER’S INJURIES THAT HE OR SHE CAUSED!
Florida is a no-fault state. This means that a car driver is not required to carry “bodily injury” coverage. Bodily injury coverage compensates a rider that he or she injured in a crash. This system is designed to protect the victim of a typical CAR crash not motorcycle crash.
For these reasons, it is vitally important that a rider carry uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage. You must carry this on your motorcycle (and any of your four-wheeled vehicles). This coverage will step in to cover for your injuries and damages as the result of someone else’s negligence when that someone else has no insurance at all to compensate a victim of a motorcycle crash or has too little insurance to compensate him or her.
What is Stacked versus Unstacked Coverage?
Now to discuss stacked versus unstacked uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage. If you are going to ride, you must have STACKED uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage. You must have it not only on your motorcycle but every car, truck, motorcycle, etc. that you own.
Unlike unstacked coverage, stacked coverage follows you regardless of what vehicle you might be in or riding. If you are injured in a motorcycle crash, you can not only make claim on the uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage on the bike you were on, but also every vehicle that you have in your household and “stack” them on top of one another. Otherwise, you are simply stuck with whatever coverage exists on the motorcycle you were riding at the time.
As riders, we cannot rely on someone else to carry sufficient insurance to cover our injuries and damages should the unthinkable happen. You have got to take your well-being into your own hands and reduce your risk if you are going to continue enjoying the open road.
If you have further questions about this coverage, please contact us. We would be happy to review your coverages and ensure you have the right coverages should a crash occur through no fault of your own.