Every driver has car insurance, right? Well, that’s not necessarily the case. Even though Georgia law requires it, many drivers on Georgia roads are knowingly driving without auto insurance coverage. Car accidents are scary and stressful enough, but a wreck caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver can be so much more stressful due to the fact that there may not be an insurer to cover your damages.
This article will help you understand how to protect yourself financially against these drivers, and what to do if you’re involved in an accident caused by an underinsured or uninsured motorist.
Uninsured v. Underinsured Drivers
An uninsured driver has no auto insurance at all. An underinsured driver has some coverage, but not enough to pay all of the costs – like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering – related to injuries they caused to you in a car wreck. You’ve probably seen TV ads for bare-minimum car insurance like this. In Georgia, the minimum limits of insurance required by a driver is only $25,000. If you are seriously injured by an uninsured driver, you could have a hospital bill alone in excess of $25,000.
Do you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage? Now is a good time to check your own insurance policy to make sure that you have the right amount of coverage in case you’re ever involved in an accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Most people don’t even know that they don’t have this type of coverage. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is not required in Georgia. You have the option of purchasing it when you purchase your insurance policy, and you should ALWAYS purchase it.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
If you’re injured in a wreck caused by an uninsured driver, there’s no insurance company to sue for damages. You would have to sue the driver directly, but that’s usually a futile exercise, as the driver likely won’t have any assets to collect even if you did get a judgment against them down the road. In fact, most attorneys will not take your case since there is no insurer to collect against.
As mentioned above, you should always elect to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. It’s not very expensive, especially compared to the thousands of dollars (or more) that a car accident would cost you in doctor and hospital bills, lost wages, and potential long-term suffering. Protect you and your family by talking to your insurance company or agent about uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
Additional Protection with an Umbrella Insurance Policy
If you’ve ever heard the term “umbrella insurance,” you probably associate it with rich folks trying to protect their mansions and assets. That’s not always the case. This type of policy could actually be an incredibly inexpensive way to protect what you own in case you or a family member ever causes an accident with ensuing damages to another person or persons.
Imagine your newly licensed son or daughter causes a car accident and people are severely injured. An umbrella policy offers coverage beyond the limits of your car insurance policy. This may keep the injured party from suing you and attempting to collect a judgment by going after your house, assets or retirement money. This is worth a call to your insurance company or agent to see how much this type of policy costs. They are generally only a couple hundred dollars annually for up to one million dollars of coverage.
A car driven by an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver hit me.
The lawyers at Litner + Deganian specialize in this type of unfortunate scenario. They have taken a number of these cases to trial recently, and they can sort through all of the insurance details and let you know all your options in order to get compensation for your injuries. We’ve worked for the big insurance companies, so we know how they operate. Now we’re on your team. Call today for your free consultation.
