What is Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage? Should You Have It?

Different things happen when you drive on the road, and sometimes accidents are inevitable- no matter how careful or how good of a driver you are. Now, when it is not your fault, it is expected that the driver at fault pays for the damages and/or foots the medical bills- through their insurance companies. Personal injury attorneys are expected to be aware of these issues in order to maximize their client’s recoveries.

However, not every driver who has an accident on the road has automobile insurance, and if they have it, it may not have the required policy limit that can cater for all of the expenses that may come as a result of your losses. These things consequently cause a lot of unplanned spending, and you can imagine how inconveniencing it could be if you also have to pay for the repairs of your car and for the medical treatments- for which you were not even at fault. This is where uninsured motorist coverage steps in to make up for the losses caused by another who is the at fault driver. If you have it then you can STILL recover. If you don’t then you may just be out of luck as it pertains to your car accident personal injury damages.

The automobile insurance sector understands these things, and this is why people can obtain these particular coverages called uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage. If you have either of these coverages, then you probably wouldn’t need to worry much- when someone else hits you.

In the case of underinsured motorist insurance coverage, insurance companies agree to protect automobile users, against possible financial burdens that may have been caused by another road user with a relatively limited insurance cover. This means that you’re the one who should have subscribed to this type of insurance package before the accidents occur.

If you find yourself in a road accident situation where the driver at fault does not have the required insurance to cater for ALL of the damages they’ve caused you, your own underinsured motorist insurance policy cover, may help you get the balance of the sums. Thus, after their own insurance companies have issued your payments to the tune of what the at-fault driver’s policy limit allows, you may still be able to collect the balance required to offset the bills- courtesy your own underinsured motorist insurance coverage.

However, note that for you to enjoy this benefit, your insurance policy limit, must be greater than that of the defaulting driver. This means that the additional payments you would receive is the difference between your policy limits and that of the driver at fault. Because of this, you are not guaranteed to receive the total sums needed to offset the bills- if the expenses exceed your policy limits. Hence, the underinsured motorist insurance coverage may only cover expenses to the tune of your policy limits, and no more.

Now, while the underinsured motorist insurance coverage is implemented this way, the uninsured motorist insurance coverage only pays you to the tune of what your policy limits suggest, while no insurance benefits are coming from the driver at fault.

There are certainly advantages of registering for an uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance coverages. Although the percentage of uninsured or underinsured motorists varies from place to place, the figures have been alarmingly high all the same. If you’re still thinking of what the uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance coverage has to offer you, then think about the following.

Road users under this insurance package can freely use the roads, without fear of running into devastating damage expenses caused by other drivers.

The insurance package is not limited to you alone, as it covers for the passengers in the insured automobile, as at the time of the accidents.

Depending on your location, you also get an additional uninsured motorist insurance coverage, when you register for the underinsured motorist insurance package. This means that you’ll be double protected against the two possible scenarios, without having to pay an extra premium.

Most state minimum policy limits are not adequate to cover serious losses sustained in a serious motor vehicle accident.

Bottom line, seriously consider getting these coverages; you just may be glad that you did.