Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers - Spring Newsletter 2023

Florida Auto Insurance: “Full Coverage” Is Minimal Coverage

then in addition to recovering this $25,000 you can recover an additional $75,000 from your UM, assuming that you purchased at least $75,000 in UM coverage. You typically can choose a variety of amounts of UM coverage, from zero to a million dollars or more. I always recommend to my clients, family, and friends that they purchase as much UM as they can afford. After having been given this advice and shopping around for costs, many of my clients purchase $100,000 each person/$300,000 each accident, but I would recommend purchasing even more if that is within your budget.

Coverage As You Can Afford

BY BRIAN D. GURALNICK, ESQUIRE

In evaluating the value of your injury claim, your recovery is typically limited to the amount of insurance coverage available. Sure, you can potentially obtain a million dollar judgment against someone, but if that person does not have a million dollars in the bank or other attachable assets, good luck trying to collect on that judgment. Most assets, like a house or a 401k have certain protections from judgment creditors. Also, the person against whom a large judgement is obtained may file for bankruptcy which could leave you with nothing to collect. That is why Uninsured/Underinsured (UM) is such an important elective coverage to purchase.

If you purchase UM coverage, then if the person who hits you has little or no bodily injury liability insurance, then you can recover from your own insurance company the difference of what is owed to you. For instance, if the person who causes a car crash has $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage to pay for your injuries, and your total damages are $100,000,

What may surprise many of you is that Florida does not require people to carry any bodily injury liability coverage to pay for injuries they cause. Florida requires only two types of auto coverage: (1) Personal Injury Protection/No-Fault (PIP), which pays 80% of one’s own medical expenses and 60% of one’s own lost wages up to $10,000. (2) Property Damage Liability (PDL) which pays for property damages one may cause to another up to $10,000. Therefore, if you are injured in a car crash caused by someone who only has this state required minimum, then you will not have any insurance benefits available to collect for your injuries other than your PIP. That is why purchasing plenty of UM is very important. So when someone tells me they have “Full Coverage”, it usually means that have the state required minimum, which is not a good thing for my client, nor their case.

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SPRING

Brian, I was in a car accident in Orlando when my family and I were on vacation. Can you still handle my case?

A SK B RIAN... Q A

Yes! No matter where in the state of Florida your accident occured, Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers can assist you! Call me personally at 561-202- MORE to discuss your case.

Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers Gives Back

SKIN CANCER SAFETY TIPS FROM THE CDC:

• Stay in the shade.

• Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.

• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.

• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.

• Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Brian has been actively involved on the Board of Directors for the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation for over 20 years and he currently serves as Vice President. Brian’s mother died too early in life as a result of a misdiagnosed melanoma skin cancer. Since that time, it has been Brian’s mission to actively help educate the local community about the importance of early detection and prevention of melanoma skin cancer. “People, especially children, need to learn the importance of sun safety, in addition to getting regular skin exams from a dermatologist,” advises Brian. Seen pictured here is Brian, along with his wife Ligia, attending the 2023 RDK Melanoma Foundation Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show held at the Breakers Palm Beach, which successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support this important cause.

Brian’s Best TROPICAL Green Smoothie Recipe

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Amelia M. Marques, Office Administrator

One of the many things the firm takes pride in is how long so many employees have stayed part of our team… and Amelia is no exception. Amelia’s employment with the firm began in 2006 and she has risen up to the top executive position as our Office Administrator. Amelia keeps everything and everyone running smoothly and we are so grateful to have her overseeing us. Originally from Massachusetts, she is still a huge Boston Red Sox fan. She also enjoys food tastings and Pilates which go hand in hand. The rest of her spare time is spent enjoying family time with her husband, Nuno, and daughter, Valentina.

Sam’s Brain Teaser

Samuel R. Guelli, Litigation Partner

Forrest left home running. He ran a ways and then turned left, ran the same distance and turned left again, ran the same distance and turned left again. When he got home, there were two masked men.

Who were they?

Serves: 1-2 smoothies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1½ large handfuls spinach or other leafy greens

• 1 frozen banana

• 1 cup frozen grapes

• 1 cup frozen mango

• ½ cup pineapple

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• 1 apple, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Enjoy!