Posted on Friday, February 26th, 2016 at 12:07 am
If you ask most people, they would say liability insurance is the most important type of automobile insurance coverage you should carry to protect yourself in an accident. While this is true if you cause the accident, it is not necessarily the case if you are the victim of another driver’s reckless, negligence, or careless driving. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is the most important insurance coverage you can have if you are in a motor vehicle accident caused by another driver.
Why is Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Coverage So Important?
In California, all drives are required to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance to drive legally in our state. The minimum liability insurance coverage required in California is currently:
- $15,000 for the death or injury to one person
- $30,000 for the death or injury to more than one person
- $5,000 for damage to property
These minimum amounts will not begin to cover all of your damages in the event of a catastrophic injury. Even in a minor vehicle accident, damages can quickly exceed the minimum amount of $15,000. Furthermore, almost 25% of drivers in California do not have any automobile insurance at all. This makes having uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage essential for all drivers.
If a driver with no insurance or inadequate insurance causes a crash, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage will compensate your for your losses up to your policy limits. Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage is typically inexpensive given the protection it provides.
Another type of insurance you should consider is PIP or Med pay. This type of insurance generally covers expenses that most health insurance policies do not cover. PIP and Med pay helps you pay for medications, insurance deductibles, co-pays, and chiropractic treatment.
If you can afford it, an umbrella policy affords you the most protection. Umbrella policies cost very little but extend your insurance coverage by millions of dollars. Also, ask your insurance company if the umbrella policy extends your uninsured and underinsured coverage. This can be extremely important if you and your family are involved in an automobile accident and suffer serious or disabling injuries. If you require long-term personal care and/or medical care, your damages could easily reach into the millions of dollars. The more insurance coverage you have, the better chance you have of receiving sufficient compensation to pay all of your damages and expenses from an automobile accident.
Have You Been Injured in an Automobile Accident?
Contact the car accident attorneys of the Tiemann Law Firm to schedule a free case evaluation. You are not required to pay any attorney fees or costs until and unless we win a settlement for you.
You can contact us online, call our office at (916) 999-9000, or chat with a representative on our website. Let our office take care of handling your vehicle accident claim while you focus on your health, your recovery, and your family.
