2014 Last Year for Motorists' Minimum Liability Coverage at Same Cost

 Posted on January 07, 2014 in Personal Injury

Most car accidents involve contacting the drivers' respective insurance companies to cover any damages and costs incurred due to injuries sustained. A common problem that many encounter when doing so is dealing with a motorist that was under-insured at the time of an accident. Essentially this translates to not having enough coverage to pay for the cost of the damage or injuries caused. This problem may be curtailed after the end of 2014.

Beginning in 2015, a portion of motorists in Illinois will have to pay higher premiums for their car insurance in order to maintain higher minimum liability coverage within their policy limits. Governor Pat Quinn approved the new law, which will go into effect January 1, 2015. While this change is meant to benefit future plaintiffs, for those already injured in a car accident at someone else's fault, the change is coming too late. CBS 2 Chicago recently reported on the law change, and outlined the story of one such unfortunate man who was hit by a vehicle while riding his bike last year, and suffered significant injuries as a result.

The Chicago man was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a car door opening in Albany Park. He suffered a bruised arm and a fractured finger, the latter of which later required surgery. As a result, he incurred medical bills exceeding $56,000, but only received $20,000 from the driver's minimum liability coverage, which 35 percent of drivers in the state of Illinois currently maintain. The new law is meant to address the coverage held by these specific motorists, who will begin paying more for the same coverage in 2015. Some rates could be increased by as much as 20 percent.

According to the law, the new mandatory state liability minimum for insurance coverage for drivers in Illinois will rise from $20,000 to $25,000. While some still believe the new minimum is too low to be expected to cover at least a significant portion of costs that could be incurred by those injured, it is at least a step in the right direction. Another concern is motorists who may completely neglect purchasing car insurance at all due to the increase in price. Of course, that situation may result in several legal issues for those drivers to address down the road, in case of an accident or being apprehended by law enforcement for traffic violations.