Requesting Florida Insurance Policy Limits After a Crash

A crash can leave you with medical bills, missed work, and no clear answer about available insurance. The at-fault driver’s insurance card rarely tells you how much coverage exists. You need a written policy-limits request to learn whether the driver has bodily injury coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, or another policy that may apply.

Florida law provides a process for requesting insurance information from an insurer. However, requesting limits does not create coverage, prove fault, or guarantee a settlement. It gives you information that can guide medical treatment decisions, settlement discussions, and further investigation.

Key Takeaways

• A written request under Florida Statute 627.4137 can seek the insurer’s identity, insured’s name, policy limits, and coverage information.
• Florida’s no-fault system usually makes your own PIP coverage the first source for crash-related medical bills and lost wages.
• A policy-limits response is not the same as a settlement offer.
• Ask about every potentially available policy, including bodily injury, uninsured motorist, excess, employer, rental, and rideshare coverage.
• Don’t sign a release until you understand the full value of your injuries and all insurance sources.

What Florida Insurance Policy Limits Mean

Insurance limits are the maximum amounts an insurer may pay under a policy for a covered claim. The amount depends on the policy language, the type of coverage, the number of injured people, and the facts of the crash.

For example, a bodily injury policy may show split limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. The first number is the most available for one injured person. The second is the most available for everyone injured in the same crash. Other policies use a combined single limit, which applies to bodily injury and property damage together.

Florida drivers generally must carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. Florida does not generally require every driver to carry bodily injury liability insurance. A driver may still have bodily injury coverage through a voluntary policy, an employer, a commercial carrier, or another applicable policy.

PIP usually pays 80 percent of covered medical expenses and 60 percent of lost income, subject to the policy limit. Under Florida law, you generally must receive initial medical care within 14 days of the crash to qualify for PIP benefits. The Florida PIP statute contains the current statutory requirements.

PIP does not pay for every loss. It usually doesn’t cover the full value of pain, permanent impairment, future care, or all lost earnings. If your injury meets Florida’s serious-injury threshold, you may pursue additional damages against the at-fault party. Those damages can include costs outside PIP, lost earning capacity, and non-economic losses such as pain and suffering.

How to Request Insurance Limits Under Florida Law

Florida Statute 627.4137 allows a claimant or the claimant’s attorney to make a written request for insurance information. Send the request to the insurer handling the at-fault driver’s claim. If you don’t know the insurer, start with the driver’s insurance card, the crash report, or a letter sent by the carrier.

Your request should identify the crash and explain the general nature of your claim. Include:

1. Your full name, address, and contact information.
2. The insured driver’s name.
3. The date, time, and location of the crash.
4. The claim number, if one exists.
5. A short description of your injuries and property damage.
6. A request for all applicable liability limits.
7. A request for information about coverage defenses or a denial.
8. A request for excess or umbrella insurance information.
9. A request for a certified policy copy or declarations page, when available.

The law generally requires the insurer to provide the requested coverage information within 30 days after receiving a proper written request. Use a method that creates proof of delivery, such as certified mail, a documented email, or a claims portal that provides a confirmation number.

Address the letter to the claims department or assigned adjuster. Send a copy to the driver or vehicle owner only if appropriate. Keep the original letter, attachments, delivery confirmation, and every response.

The statute’s insurance disclosure requirements provide the legal foundation for this request. The statute does not require an insurer to pay the limits simply because you asked for them.

A Practical Policy-Limits Request Letter

A short, clear letter is usually more effective than an emotional account of the crash. Focus on identifying the claim and requesting coverage information.

You can use language such as:

I am requesting disclosure of all insurance coverage that may apply to my bodily injury and property damage claims arising from the motor vehicle crash on [date] at [location]. Please provide the name and address of each insured, the applicable liability limits, information about any coverage defense or denial, and information about any excess, umbrella, or additional insurance. Please also provide a copy of the declarations page or policy, if available.

Attach the crash report, photographs, medical records, bills, or wage documents only when they help identify the claim or support a pending settlement discussion. You don’t need to send your entire medical history with the initial limits request.

Ask the insurer to confirm whether the policy includes:

• Bodily injury liability coverage
• Property damage liability coverage
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
• Medical payments coverage
• Excess or umbrella coverage
• Commercial, employer, rental, or rideshare coverage

An insurance card may show the carrier and policy number, but it may not show the limits. The declarations page usually provides more useful information. Still, the declarations page alone may not answer every question because exclusions, endorsements, additional insureds, and coverage defenses can affect the claim.

Look Beyond the At-Fault Driver’s Policy

A policy-limits request should not stop with the first insurer’s answer. The available coverage may involve more than one person or company.

If the at-fault driver was working, the employer’s commercial policy may apply. A delivery driver, truck driver, rideshare driver, or business employee may have coverage connected to the vehicle or work activity. Rideshare claims can involve different coverage periods depending on whether the driver was waiting for a ride request, traveling to pick up a passenger, or carrying a passenger.

Rental-car crashes may involve the renter’s personal auto policy, the rental company’s protection products, and insurance connected to a credit card. The exact answer depends on the rental agreement and policy terms.

Your own policy also deserves review. Uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist coverage may help when the at-fault driver has no bodily injury coverage or has limits that cannot cover your losses. A request to your own insurer should ask for the declarations page, UM or UIM limits, rejection or selection paperwork, and any applicable endorsements.

Insurance records don’t replace evidence of fault. Preserve photographs, witness information, vehicle damage, medical records, employment records, and video before they disappear. In a property case, maintenance logs and surveillance footage may matter. After a serious injury, an attorney may send preservation letters to request that businesses, drivers, and insurers retain relevant records.

What to Do After the Insurer Responds

Review the response against the policy documents and the facts of the crash. Confirm whether the limits apply per person or per accident. Check whether other injured people may share the same limit. Also look for statements that the insurer is investigating coverage or reserving its rights.

A coverage reservation means the insurer may later argue that the policy doesn’t cover some or all of the claim. It isn’t the same as a final denial. Ask for the reason in writing and avoid making statements that could be treated as admissions about the crash or your injuries.

The policy limits are only one part of a claim’s value. Your damages may include:

• Past and future medical treatment
• Lost wages and reduced earning ability
• Physical impairment or permanent injury
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Pain, emotional distress, and loss of normal activities
• Property damage and out-of-pocket expenses

Florida’s negligence statute now generally provides a two-year deadline for negligence claims accruing on or after March 24, 2023. Different deadlines may apply to older claims, wrongful death cases, claims against government entities, and other situations. The current Florida statute of limitations should be reviewed with the facts and accident date.

A policy-limits request is also different from a policy-limits settlement demand. A demand usually includes liability evidence, medical proof, damages, a proposed release, and a deadline for response. The insurer may accept, reject, or counter the demand. You should understand whether the proposed release ends claims against only the insured or also affects other parties and policies.

Never treat an insurer’s limits disclosure as permission to settle. It is information, not a promise to pay.

Mistakes That Can Reduce Your Options

Waiting to request limits can create avoidable delays, especially when medical bills are growing or the insurer has not confirmed coverage. However, rushing to settle can cause a different problem. Some injuries develop over time, and early medical records may not show the full impact.

Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you understand the questions and your legal position. Answer basic claim-identification questions honestly, but avoid guessing about speed, fault, medical recovery, or future treatment.

Don’t sign a release in exchange for a check until you know what claims and parties it covers. A release may end the claim even if later treatment reveals a more serious injury. It may also affect claims against additional insureds or other responsible parties.

Finally, don’t assume a ticket decides fault. A citation may not establish civil liability, and the absence of a ticket doesn’t prevent a claim. Photos, witness accounts, vehicle damage, roadway evidence, medical records, and independent investigation may carry greater weight.

Conclusion

Requesting insurance limits after a Florida crash helps identify the money that may be available, but it doesn’t decide fault or determine the full value of your injury claim. Use a written request, keep delivery proof, and ask about every policy that could apply.

Florida’s PIP system may cover initial treatment and part of your lost income, while a serious injury claim may involve additional liability coverage and damages. Before accepting a settlement or signing a release, make sure you understand the full insurance picture, your medical outlook, and the deadlines affecting your claim.