Orlando, FL (WiredPRNews.com) A Florida court has decided that Allstate Insurance does not have to pay the medical bills of a carjacking victim who was beaten up and stuffed in his own trunk, according to Online Auto Insurance News.
The case is an extreme example of the importance of knowing just what certain coverage types provide protection for before conducting a Florida auto insurance quotes comparison online and before filing a claim.
According to court documents, Jonathan Adrabi had been carjacked at a stop sign in 2000, during which his assailants hit him with a shotgun, threw him into the trunk of his own car and drove him around wildly, tossing him within the trunk and causing injuries that required medical treatment.
Adrabi filed a $32,000 damage claim under his uninsured motorist coverage, asserting that once the carjackers took over his vehicle, it became an uninsured car.
Though a lower court agreed with Adrabi’s rationale, an appeals court ruled this week that Allstate was not obliged to foot the bill because the source of Adrabi’s damages were the carjackers and his car itself, which was insured.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist policies are designed to protect consumers in the event they get into an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance or low liability limits that are not enough to pay for all injuries or damages. They also cover damages caused by hit-and-run drivers in many cases.
Source: http://doi.sc.gov/consumer/Pages/Auto.aspx
The court did not say whether Allstate would have been required to pay if Adrabi had filed the claim under the personal injury protection portion of his policy.
To learn more about this and other car insurance issues, readers can go to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/florida/quote-comparison/ where they will find informative resource pages and a helpful rate-comparison generator.