Guest view: Auto insurance reform needed.
More people need to carry a responsible amount of auto insurance that covers damage that comes from an accident. I know. My life and the lives of my children, Tyler and Emily, changed the moment a man in a speeding black Corvette convertible T-boned our car on the driver’s side. It happened when I was in our fourdoor Honda Civic headed straight down U.S. Highway 27 in Leesburg to take my son to get his haircut.
A man driving erratically in a Corvette ran through the red light while making a left turn, slid sideways and slammed into us. We all were hurt. My daughter had to be taken by helicopter to Arnold Palmer Hospital.
The man was driving a $50,000 luxury car, yet he only had the barebones $10,000 in PIP insurance, shorthand for personal-injury protection (no fault). I’m a single mother with no health insurance. I work as a sign-language interpreter. My job paid the bills, until the accident happened.
The moment 911 dispatched the ambulance and helicopter, and we arrived at separate hospitals, the insurance liability had already passed its limits and the bills started running up.
I went to Tallahassee last week to share my story with members of the Florida House of Representatives. Lawmakers are considering bills (House Bill 1063 and Senate Bill 1766) that would end the bare-bones PIP system and require drivers to carry a responsible level of insurance that would help better cover costs when they cause an accident.
There was a parade of wellpaid lobbyists for industries that have a stake in keeping the system the way it is. In a way, I was the only “real” person to speak to the panel of lawmakers. It made me proud to stand up there and speak for me, my daughter and son, but I was surprised that I was the only nonpaid Floridian to testify.
Legislators need to hear from more people like us who face the everyday challenges that come from working hard, doing what’s right, loving our families and being responsible.
So, I told the lawmakers about the damage one irresponsible driver caused. I shared the injuries he caused. I told them about the stack of bills I have and how more keep coming in the mail.
I let them know about the medical debt-collection agencies calling my phone numerous times throughout the day, harassing me and my family, and how the accident bills have destroyed my credit.
Had the proposed responsible roadways law been in effect during my injuries, I would not be in this position.
Because of my injuries, I’m not able to use American Sign Language for long periods of time, which really limits me in my work as a sign-language video interpreter for the deaf. And that affects my income as well as what I can do to provide for my children.
My daughter needs more surgery. My son will never be able to play sports or do his tricks on his skateboard again.
This all is because we were simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
My family has suffered because someone else acted irresponsibly, yet was complying with the inadequate insurance laws of our state.
I want something good to come out of this nightmare that has gripped me and my family. I believe that helping to pass this bill will prevent more people from going through the pain and heartache we have faced.
My family is proof that irresponsible drivers can hurt other people when they’re behind the wheel. When that happens, they should have enough coverage to at least help fix the lives that they have completely broken.
I’ve told my story to the Legislature, and I’d encourage other people in my situation to please tell their stories at a website I’m a part of: Floridians for Responsible Roadways, a coalition including advocates of the civil justice system, the insurance industry, and other insurance reform interests. Join us at www.ResponsiblityFlorida.com.