Coverage explained
Property damage liability in Florida
Florida requires $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL). It pays for damage you cause to someone else’s car or property, and anything above your limit can come back to you.
What it pays for
- The other driver’s car repairs or its value if totaled
- Fences, walls, mailboxes, storefronts and other property you hit
- Your legal defense if they sue over the damage
What it doesn’t
- Your own car (that is collision)
- Anyone’s injuries (that is PIP and bodily injury liability)
- Damage above your limit
A real-life example
You misjudge a lane change on I-95 and push a 2024 SUV into the wall. Its repairs come to $28,000. With the Florida minimum of $10,000, your insurer pays $10,000 and the other driver’s insurer can come after you for the other $18,000. With $50,000 of property damage, it’s covered.
Illustrative numbers. What a claim pays depends on your policy wording, limits and deductible.
The Florida rule
PDL of at least $10,000 is required to register a car in Florida, alongside PIP. Leases and some lenders require more.
What most drivers pick
Most drivers David quotes move from $10,000 to $50,000 or $100,000, because the average new car costs several times the minimum. The price step up is usually small next to what it protects.
What it does to the price
Raising PDL from $10,000 to $50,000 or $100,000 is usually one of the cheapest upgrades on a policy. Ask to see it both ways.
Questions
What happens if I cause more damage than my limit?
The other driver’s insurer can come after you for the difference.
Does PDL cover my car?
No. Damage to your own car is collision coverage.
Go deeper
Other coverage
- Personal injury protection
- Bodily injury liability
- Uninsured motorist
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Full coverage
- Gap and loan or lease payoff
- Rental and roadside
- SR-22
- FR-44
- Non-owner car insurance
- Rideshare and delivery
Your policy’s wording decides what’s covered. David can walk you through yours.