Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured and underinsured drivers in the country, which makes uninsured motorist (UM) coverage one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of an injury claim. One feature of Florida law, called "stacking," can significantly increase how much UM coverage is actually available to a victim of a car accident.
What Stacking Means
UM coverage protects you when the at-fault driver has no insurance, or not enough insurance, to cover your injuries. "Stacking" allows a policyholder to combine, or aggregate, UM coverage limits across multiple vehicles on their insurance policy rather than being limited to a single vehicle's coverage amount. "Non-stacked" coverage limits recovery to the UM limit tied to the specific vehicle involved in the crash.
How Stacking Multiplies Available Coverage
Consider a household with three vehicles insured under one policy, each carrying $100,000 in UM coverage. With stacking, the household may be able to combine coverage across the vehicles — up to $300,000 in total UM protection — rather than being capped at the $100,000 tied to the vehicle actually involved in the crash.
Rejection Forms May be Challenged
Because the statute imposes specific formatting and disclosure requirements for a valid stacking rejection, insurance companies do not always get it right. A rejection form that is outdated, ambiguous, or improperly executed can be challenged, potentially restoring stacked coverage the insurer claimed didn't apply. Whether a particular household's policy actually has valid stacking coverage — and whether a past rejection was legally effective — is often the first thing worth having an attorney review after a serious crash.
Why This Matters After a Serious Crash
When the at-fault driver is uninsured or carries only minimum coverage, your own UM policy — stacked or not — can be the primary source of real compensation for serious injuries. Understanding what coverage you actually have, and whether it was properly stacked or rejected, can make a substantial difference in the outcome of a claim.
Talk to a South Florida Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one was hurt because of someone else’s carelessness, contact Englander Peebles for a free case review. You pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover money for you.
Englander Peebles | (954) 500-HURT | ftlinjurylaw.com | 2122 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 206, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309