Friday, July 24, 2015

What's the difference between Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance?

You're Injured, Now What?
An update to keep you informed on personal injury situations.

There seems to be some confusion as to what separates uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance, so let me break it down for you. Uninsured motorist insurance covers you if you get hit by someone without insurance. Underinsured motorist policies cover you when you get hit by someone who causes more damage than what their policy covers. So say you’re driving along and all of the sudden a car pulls out of a shopping center and right into the side of your car because the lady behind the wheel was too busy drinking her latte to look both ways as she exited the center. You guys pull over to the side of the road and exchange information. She’s very apologetic and gives you all of the contact and insurance information you need with no hassle then drives off. Well, turns out she has the most minimal coverage policy legal in the state of California and it won’t cover all of the damage that she caused. Not to worry though because you invested in an underinsured motorist policy that covers the difference between the damage the other lady caused and the small amount her insurance covers. Basically, these policies protect you from having to pay out of pocket for the damages caused by individuals who lack adequate insurance. Believe it or not, some people are not as considerate as you and will in fact leave you with the bill even if they are at fault for all damages. As of 2012, 14.7% of motorists in California were uninsured. This means that 1 out of 7 vehicles on the road carried no form of insurance. As cliché as it sounds, it really is better to be safe than sorry; better to pay a higher insurance premium than to be stuck footing  the bill for damages that were not your fault. 

1 comment:

  1. If you cause a car accident, you may be held responsible for the costs associated with it. These may include legal fees, the injured person's medical expenses, or their lost income if their injuries leave them unable to work. Liability coverage may help pay for these costs. Without liability coverage, you would likely have to pay these costs out of your own pocket. Insurance company in Georgia

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