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March 30th, 2016
Imagine that you are safely driving down the road. You are watching for cars around you, driving the speed limit and making sure you are not distracted. All of a sudden, another car crashes into your driver’s side door because the driver was texting and ran a red light. During the crash, you break your legs, hit your head on the side window and break several ribs. You are now on the long and expensive road to recovery. Not only have your medical bills added up quickly, but you miss three months of work because you cannot walk or lift anything due to your injuries. This life-changing event has left you sitting at home and stressed, as you try to figure out how to pay not only your medical bills, but also your mortgage, taxes and electric bill.
This is the situation I find many of our clients in when I first talk with them. One of the first things our law firm would do is find out what type of auto insurance the at-fault driver has and request a copy of their insurance policy’s limits. Many times, the at-fault party may only have the minimum coverage required by law, which is likely a small fraction of the amount to which the person is entitled. Even worse, the amount of drivers without insurance never ceases to amaze me.
So there you are, in pain, unable to work and possibly not able to recover any compensation from the person who permanently changed your life. This is where uninsured/underinsured insurance coverage is crucial. This type of coverage is purchased to provide compensation to a driver whose damages surpass the amount the at-fault party is able to pay. Therefore, even if the at-fault party did not have insurance, the person who was injured would still be compensated for their damages from their own insurance policy.
My purpose for writing this blog is not only to inform you about this type of insurance, but also to encourage our readers to purchase it. Many people either waive their option to purchase underinsurance coverage or purchase a very limited amount. In my experience, the small fee necessary for this type of coverage is well worth it to insure a person is covered when they are injured. The time to think about protecting yourself and your family is now; once the crash occurs, it may be too late.
