We hope that you never end up in an automobile accident. However, automobile accidents happen every day, and should you become involved in one, you want to make sure that you have adequate insurance coverage.
The type of automobile insurance coverage that most drivers are familiar with is liability coverage. In Wisconsin, you are required to carry automobile liability insurance of at least $25,000. Liability coverage means the amount available to cover your liability to another party should you be responsible for his or her injuries arising from the accident. While $25,000 is the minimum coverage you must legally carry, that amount is likely insufficient to protect you in the event the other driver and passengers sustain injuries. Larger liability coverage amounts are available through most insurers, including amounts up to $250,000 or even $500,000.
Beyond basic liability coverage, you should also consider acquiring umbrella coverage, which is relatively inexpensive coverage that applies in the event a claim exceeds your basic liability limits. Umbrella coverage is usually for $1 million or more and usually requires underlying limits of a minimum amount, such as $250,000.
If another driver is responsible (or at-fault) for injuring you in a vehicle accident, that driver might not have auto insurance (even though the law requires it) or might have insufficient insurance coverage. This is where two other relatively inexpensive coverages may help—underinsured motorist (UIM) and uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. For example, if you sustain damages of $250,000 and the other driver has only $100,000 of liability coverage, if you have $250,000 of UIM coverage, your UIM coverage will pay the remaining $150,000. Thus, by having UIM and UM coverage, you will be protected in the event the other driver has insufficient coverage or no coverage.
Hopefully, you also carry good medical insurance. If you are injured in an auto accident, medical expenses can be substantial. What most people do not know is that their automobile policy includes medical coverage for injuries arising from an automobile accident. However in most cases, that coverage is minimal, such as $10,000. You may, and we recommend you consider, acquiring much higher coverage. Medical payments coverage in an automobile policy is usually relatively inexpensive.
Protect yourself and buy sufficient liability, medical, umbrella, underinsured, and uninsured insurance coverage. In the unfortunate event you are injured in an automobile accident, you will know that you have sufficient coverage available to compensate you for your injuries and damages.
Finally, while you might have sufficient coverage, wrestling with an insurance company to pay your claim is not a simple task. Attorneys who handle car accident cases all the time know what works and can help you get the top dollar from your insurance company. In the event you are in an auto accident, don’t wait and contact your personal injury attorney right away.