Florida is a very special state in terms of car insurance because it is one of the few with a system based on “no-fault liability”. This system allows victims to be compensated regardless of the fault of the driver, and in theory, to more easily obtain compensation for the damage that was caused during the accident. If you have a car accident, your own insurance covers your medical expenses or lost wages, even if someone else is responsible.

• In Miami and Florida only two insurances are really mandatory:

1. The “Personal Injury Protection – PIP” insurance of a minimum of $10,000 which covers the medical expenses of the driver and his passengers, as well as the possible loss of income without any fault condition. This means that this insurance intervenes first, even if the accident is caused by a third party.

2. “Liability coverage” insurance (or civil liability insurance) of $10,000 which covers material or bodily damage caused to a third party. Given the cost of medical expenses in the United States, the coverage of compulsory insurance is more than limited. But this amount can be increased depending on the driver’s history, for example, if he has already had an accident, the minimum increases to $30,000. And regardless of the legal minima, the insured can increase the ceilings up to $100,000 or $300,000, for example.

Note: if your car is registered in Florida, you must take out insurance from the State of Florida. If you live more than 90 days (not necessarily consecutive) in the year in Florida, you must take out insurance that complies with Florida laws.

• How much does car insurance cost?

Car insurance rates vary from one insurer to another and from one driver to another, because the company conducts a survey to analyze the risk you represent for him. It is therefore impossible to give an exact price.

A multitude of factors influence the price of insurance. Among those with the greatest impact:

1. The type and age of the vehicle,
2. The driver’s profile: age, sex, family situation (married or not), experience, type of driving license, insurance history (“Credit Score”), profession, location and type of residence (owner or not),
3. The history of accidents or traffic violations of the driver,
4. The level of coverage: amount of insurance (limits) and deductible (deductible),
5. The type of compensation: new value (replacement cost) or current value (actual cash value),
6. The risks covered by the contract (collision, other than collision, etc.),
7. The use of the car: leisure, work and number of kilometers traveled per year.

Be that as it may, when arriving in the United States without a car insurance history, the insurers offer you a new driver contract and in this case, your monthly payments are obviously higher than for an American motorist driving since the age of 16 years in his country. But rest assured, your history will be built over the months and if you have no problem, you can renegotiate quite quickly.

Uninsured is a particularly serious scourge in Florida and some studies estimate the rate of uninsured vehicles at 24%. The subject of insurance is therefore not to be taken lightly. It is better to be well insured and it is strongly advised to take out more cover than the minimum required by law…