What is Uninsured & Underinsured Coverage?

I recently had the pleasure of joining my friends Derek and Grant of Shelbyville Insurance Services for an episode of the D&G Show, where they interview local professionals to share practical tips and advice with their audience. We covered several topics related to insurance claims, car accidents, personal injury law, and insurance coverage.

Here is a clip from the interview explaining Uninsured and Underinsured Insurance Coverage:

When I’m asked “What is Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage”, my favorite answer is: “It is the most important coverage you can have to protect yourself and your family from other drivers.”

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage, often abbreviated as “UM/UIM” in insurance policies, is coverage you can carry on your own automobile insurance coverage to provide benefits for you if you are injured in an accident with a vehicle that is either uninsured or that has inadequate insurance coverage to fully compensate you for your damages.

It is very important to carry as much UM/UIM as you can reasonably afford, as many of the at fault drivers we see in Decatur car accidents and Bloomington car accidents have either no insurance or the state minimum insurance of $25,000. Unfortunately, with rising medical costs, if a person is seriously or even moderately injured, the minimum coverage will be inadequate. All too often we see the most reckless behavior and most serious injuries caused by people who are driving illegally, often distracted, drunk or on drugs, while having no insurance.

The single most important insurance coverage to protect you and your family from economic devastation caused by another driver is to purchase adequate UM/UIM coverage, and often that coverage is surprisingly affordable.

If you have questions about your insurance coverage, or if you’re reading this blog, I highly encourage you to take a few minutes to review your own insurance policy and make sure you are comfortable with the amount of coverage you have on your policy. Consider what would happen if another driver’s negligence prevented you from being able to work for 6 months. Does it still seem like you have enough coverage? I’d recommend getting a quote from an agent and increase your coverage. This is even more important if you are self-employed.

And as always, remember that your choice of a car insurance company matters. Consider asking around to make sure that if you actually have a claim that you are insured by a company that pays claims honorably. There is a big difference in how claims are handled by different insurance companies.

If you’d like to discuss any of these issues, call anytime.