You bond with many things in your life — your dog, your spouse and your friends. You should also bond with your auto insurance policy.

Yes, that’s right. Knowing your insurance policy and what you’re covered for in the event of a car accident on any of Florida’s roads — or if you’re involved in a Florida Turnpike car accident — will go a long way in enabling you to eventually reach a car accident settlement.

Why, you may ask — because your auto insurance is the cushion that enables you to maneuver through all of those hazards on the road. Just as you wouldn’t ride a motorcycle without a helmet or go parasailing without a harness — you shouldn’t venture out onto the road without auto insurance. And knowing how that insurance impacts you is central to being a responsible driver.

Some terms you should know on your insurance policy:

• Personal Injury Protection: This will provide coverage for medical treatment, lost wages from injury and any additional expenses that are incurred from an auto accident.
• Collision Damage: Collision damage covers any damage sustained by your car during an accident and applies when damage is caused by an impact with another vehicle or when a car flips.
• Comprehensive Damage: This covers all instances in which damage occurs to your car from events other than auto accidents, such as flooding or theft and vandalism.
• Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability: If you are at fault in an auto accident, you may be held liable for any resulting injury or death sustained by the other vehicle’s occupants. Property damage liability also applies when you are found to be at fault in an accident, and pays for repairs to the other party’s vehicle.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage: If you’rein a car accident in Florida and it’s not your fault – and then you fund the other driver had no auto insurance – you’ll find that uninsured motorist coverage is a piece of additional coverage that is necessary to pay for medical costs associated with the accident. Likewise, uninsured motorist property damage coverage will also pay for your repair costs, even if the at-fault driver lacks insurance altogether.

So it would be a good idea for you to bond with your insurance coverage before you bond with that car of your dreams and before you go out and test the gears. Contact a personal injury lawyer in South Florida if you get into an auto accident. Sometimes it’s not only who you know — but what you know — that can get you out of trouble.