Yes, it’s illegal to drive without insurance, and it’s true that people are getting better about getting insurance on their vehicles these days. But trust me, it still happens. We have seen the devastating consequences when a car accident victim gets into an accident with someone who doesn’t have proper coverage. If you haven’t, you might be wondering what exactly happens.
The answer is this. If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, you are probably going to be out of luck even if you attempt to pursue an injury claim against the guilty party because it is likely if they don’t have insurance that they don’t have any assets. This means that there is no one to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering except for you.
This is where uninsured motorist coverage comes into play. Your auto insurance carrier will act as if they insure the driver that was at-fault for the accident. You can then make a claim and your own policy will cover the medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. When you file a claim under this type of coverage, it does not cause your insurance premiums to go up either! This type of insurance will also come into effect is you are hit by an uninsured vehicle while you are a pedestrian, or on a bicycle or scooter.
You might not think that it is critical to have this type of insurance because you don’t think there are that many people out there that don’t have insurance anymore, but you’re wrong. True, it’s against the law not to have insurance and law enforcement is cracking down on this. However, law enforcement doesn’t check to see if people are underinsured. So call your agent today and see if you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and figure out what your policy limit is. If your agent tells you that you have “full coverage,” that does not mean that you have it either.
Resources:
