Protect Yourself Against UM/UIM Drivers

 Posted on March 18, 2015 in Personal Injury

Driving with car insurance is nearly a second-nature habit for most car owners in the United States. There are, however, plenty of drivers who operate without car insurance or insufficient car insurance. They are known as uninsured or underinsured (UM/UIM) drivers. Being involved in a serious accident with one of these drivers can prove problematic because it makes recovering compensation from the at-fault driver extremely difficult. UM/UIM Drivers by the Numbers Studies have found that nearly 13 percent of drivers are uninsured or underinsured across the country. In some states this number is significantly higher or lower. For example, Mississippi has one of the highest rates at 26 percent and Massachusetts has one of the lowest at 4.5 percent. California, by sheer population size, has the highest number of uninsured drivers at 4.1 million. In order to protect oneself from uninsured/underinsured drivers, it is important to have UM/UIM insurance coverage. This is coverage included in your basic insurance policy that covers for incidents involving uninsured/underinsured drivers. In Illinois, drivers are required to carry liability insurance coverage that covers bodily injury, property damage, uninsured, and underinsured drivers. It is is one of 20 states that require drivers to have coverage for UM/UIM drivers and the insurance limits to match the insurance minimum for a basic insurance policy in the state. Illinois' financial responsibility limits are 25-50-20, which means Illinois drivers need coverage up to $50,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $25,000 for one individual, and $20,000 coverage for property damage. This coverage amount represents the bare minimum required to operate a vehicle in Illinois and is not the recommended amount of coverage a driver should have to cover bodily injury, property damage, uninsured, and underinsured drivers. Uninsured/underinsured coverage is necessary; if you are involved in an accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver without such a policy, you may end up paying for all of your losses (injuries, medical costs, and damages to the car). The other option is to sue the driver even though they might not have the ability to recoup your losses. Contact an Car Accident Attorney for Help If you have been in a wreck, and you have UM/UIM insurance, it is important your insurance company steps up to the plate and handles your claim, since the other driver does not have the insurance capability to do so. Unfortunately, insurance companies are known to deny claims that involve accidents with uninsured/underinsured drivers. An experienced DuPage County car accident attorney can help walk you through the process and ensure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled from your insurance company, so please contact us today if you need help. At the Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices, we look forward to hearing from you.