Hitting the highway in a safe vehicle that is adequately covered by insurance and that follows all safe driving protocols is not enough to protect oneself from uninsured motorists.
Most, if not all, drivers know that a large percentage of accidents happen close to home. Remaining vigilant at all times is logical. However, drivers may not realize that it does not matter how prepared they are; it is normally the other driver that can cost them untold amounts of money.
Any car accident lawyer can tell you that nearly half of all car accidents involve an uninsured or an under insured driver. In most cases the fault lies with these drivers rather than those who are properly insured. A personal injury lawyer is also going to be able to quote this statistic, as sadly, much of the business of a personal injury lawyer also comes from accidents involving inadequate insurance.
Choosing to include uninsured motorist coverage in your insurance policy will be celebrated in the unfortunate case of an accident where it comes in handy. Normally, the coverage includes anyone who lives in a household, as well as minor children who live elsewhere or are at college. This is a great feature of the coverage, since it does not leave anyone out.
This type of coverage also covers a hit-and-run accident where there is actual contact between the hit-and-run vehicle and the insured’s vehicle. With people hitting the roads without any form of insurance, it makes sense that the number of hit-and-run accidents are climbing. People who believe there were no witnesses do not feel the need to be honest and own up to such a big mistake.
Uninsured motorist coverage also covers pain and suffering the loss of the ability to enjoy activities as a result of an accident. This means not only are the damages to the vehicle and hospital bills included under this type of coverage, but it also takes into consideration aspects of life that are more valuable than the financial costs involved.
What level of uninsured motorist coverage would it be prudent to invest in? Well that depends on the type of work the insured does and what an injury with lost work time would mean to a household. For those who would lose a significant amount of income due to an accident-related injury that prevents work attendance, a higher level of uninsured motorist coverage is best. Typically, insurance companies offer $30,000 per person/$60,000 aggregate for uninsured motorist coverage. For those in high income jobs, it is better to ask the company to increase the coverage to $100,000 per person/$300,000 aggregate to be fully covered.
A good idea in the situation is to have uninsured motorist coverage that matches liability coverage. This tends to circumvent any potential issues when an accident occurs. Peace of mind in terms of insurance coverage for a family when an accident occurs is a vital piece to getting through the rough period with minimal stress.
Avoid time in the courtroom and extensive relationships with car accident lawyers or injury lawyers by opting into uninsured motorist coverage before any accident involving someone that neglects proper driving preparation.
