Imagine this nightmare scenario: you’re seriously injured in an auto accident, and the person who hit you doesn’t have any insurance. True, they are driving illegally in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as our state’s laws require all motorists to be insured. Unfortunately, that scofflaw’s actions will not help you pay your medical bills or recover your lost wages when you can’t work due to your injuries. Suing the at-fault driver may not do much good either since they probably have nothing to give you. They were likely driving uninsured because they could not afford to pay even the modest premiums associated with minimum coverage policies. This is the case for millions across the United States. So what happens now?
If you only have minimum coverage yourself, your insurance will only pay up to $15,000 for bodily injury per person per accident (with a limit of $30,000 per incident), and we all know that doesn’t add up to much in modern American medicine. Uninsured (UM) and underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage is available for purchase with all policies, but since it’s not required in our state, many drivers skip it, and minimum coverage policies definitely do not include it. Obviously, our Pennsylvania minimum insurance requirements are designed to save drivers money on premiums, which is important, but the downside is this budget coverage may actually prove quite costly.
Let’s look at how you can protect yourself from the uninsured and underinsured drivers who are on the roads with you and assure that you have all the coverage you need to avoid the misery of financial problems following an accident. Continue reading “How You Can Prepare Yourself for Uninsured Drivers”
