Uninsured And Underinsured Polices

By Susan Reynolds

Although nearly every state requires that drivers carry at least liability insurance for their cars, the fact is that many do not. In some cases, uninsured or underinsured drivers can cause damage to your car, and then either don't have enough in their policy to cover the damage or don't have a policy at all, leaving you with no way to recoup the cost of the damages. This is a strong case for buying insurance that includes uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

The uninsured-underinsured provision is an add-on to the basic policy for an additional premium. You might think the provision is an unnecessary expense; however, it is well worth the cost if there is an accident. Although there are additional premium involved, the coverage will pay for itself in the event you are involved in an accident and the other driver is underinsured or uninsured. Obviously those are not ideal circumstances but it is good to know that you are covered just in case.

Even in states where underinsured and uninsured policies aren't a requirement, you should carry this policy. This kind of insurance doesn't just cover you, it covers the passengers in your car, or anyone you list on your policy as an approved driver. This type of policy doesn't just cover damage to your car, either. It can cover hospitalization, damaged or destroyed property replacement, and disability. The cost of an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy costs a lot less money than paying for the damages an irresponsible driver can cause.

This is especially important for drivers who only have liability insurance: although your insurance will cover any costs for property damage or personal injury that you may cause to yourself or another person if you are the at-fault driver, liability alone will not cover any damages caused by someone else.

In a perfect world, the other driver would always foot the bill for their mistakes. But this world isn't perfect. Consider the current state of the economy. Then ask yourself what kind of person would drive without insurance in the first place. You don't want to end up with that responsibility yourself. This is why you need to include coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers.

Usually the price of damages is handled by the driver at fault. However, in the case of an uninsured driver, there is no other option than to take on this burden yourself. A single incident or accident could cripple your finances in a moment, and it's in your best interest to protect yourself from this possibility.

Your dollar-amount limits for this kind of policy is usually the same as your regular boundaries. Like with regular policies, some companies might have minimum and maximum amounts they require. - 29969

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