Almost every state in America requires drivers to carry a certain amount of liability insurance to operate a vehicle, so you might be wondering: Why do I need Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
However, unfortunately there are vehicles on the road that do not have insurance coverage, or might not have enough coverage to cover losses in the event of an auto accident. This is where the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage would kick in.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist’s coverage provides insurance for bodily injury and property damage if the accident is caused by someone who is uninsured or underinsured. The insurance company that you have your policy through will allow you to collect from them in the event that there is an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. It provides benefits for you and your family members’ injuries sustained in your own covered auto, in autos you do not own, or as a pedestrian.
This coverage, as mentioned above, also covers you if you are a pedestrian and were to be hit by an uninsured motorist and suffer damages. Additionally, in some states, there is a coverage called Uninsured Property Damage that would cover your vehicle if it were to be damaged by an uninsured driver. Accidents do happen, and unfortunately there are motorists on the road that do not have insurance coverage. To make sure you are covered, talk to your independent insurance agent about the uninsured and underinsured motorist’s liability and property damage coverages that are available to make sure you have them on your policy. The underinsured part of the liability will kick in if the amount of liability insurance that the driver has will not cover expenses beyond what is on their policy. $25,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per accident is the minimum amount of insurance carried by many states in the Midwest, and often if there is a bad accident, this will not be enough coverage to pay for all medical expenses.
Understanding all the parts of your insurance policy is important, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is imperative to include on your policy to make sure you have the right coverage to protect you and your family. Talk to your independent agent to see what coverage options are available to you, and to make sure you have the right uninsured and underinsured coverages.