Per the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there are about 400,000 vehicle accidents in the Sunshine State every year. Out of these, 40,000 involve commercial fleets. Moreover, fleet vehicle accidents in the state of Florida lead to more than 10,000 cases of serious bodily injuries annually. It is worth noting that the average injury claim resulting from fleet vehicle accidents is about $70,000, which is nearly twice as much as the average workers’ comp claim. Fortunately, commercial auto insurance Florida can help protect your small business from such losses. Here’s some more information about this topic.
Commercial Auto Insurance Florida – Three Basic Parts, consisting of three different part, commercial auto insurance is essentially a type of auto insurance policy that protects fleet vehicles, including vans, trucks, and cars, against named perils. These three parts include:
Property liability coverage
This covers third-party property damage, particularly the costs of repairing or replacing third-party property in the event of a collision, if your employee is the at-fault party. Under Florida law, all fleet vehicles operating in the state must carry at least $10,000 in property liability coverage. Additionally, commercial vehicles that weight 26,000 pounds or more must carry additional liability insurance. The actual additional amount varies depending on the actual weight of a vehicle. For instance, fleet vehicles that weigh anywhere from 26,000 to 34,000 must carry $50,000 or more in liability insurance per incident. Moreover, if you cross state lines, you’ll need to comply with the Department of Transportation coverage regulations, which require you carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance per incident
Personal injury protection (PIP)
This policy covers the medical costs for drivers and passengers, if any, injured in a fleet vehicle accident. Take note that the state of Florida is a no-fault state. This means that if your PIP coverage is insufficient, an injured party can sue you for additional expenses, if your drive is the at-fault party. That said, Florida law requires all fleet vehicles operating in the state to carry at least $10,000 in PIP coverage.
Other Coverage
Besides liability and PIP coverages, the third part of a standard commercial auto insurance policy covers a variety of other perils, including, among others, rental reimbursement, towing and labor, medical costs, and lease or auto loan gaps.
Conclusion
In the state of Florida, accidents involving fleet vehicles account for about 10% of all car accidents in the state. One of the best ways to protect your business against the financial losses associated with such accidents is to carry commercial auto insurance Florida.