Understanding underinsured & uninsured motorist coverage for your best benefits today.
When a person shops for automobile insurance, one always asks if he or she has enough coverage. However, many factors play into what is being covered. Some of the references might seem obvious, such as liability and collision coverage. Some coverages are less obvious.
The Definition of Underinsured & Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Texas Insurance Code Section 1952.101(a) defines uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as an “insurance policy that provides for coverage…that protects insureds who are legally entitled to recover from owners or operators of uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles damages for bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death, or property damage resulting from the ownership, maintenance, or use of any motor vehicle.”
All insurance companies are required to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage when selling insurance, according to Texas Insurance Code Section 1952.101(b). The only way an insurance company can get out of issuing uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is for you, as a customer, to reject such coverage, according to Texas Insurance Code Section 1952.101(c).
How Does It Work?
Now you may think, how does underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage work? See the following situations:
- Suppose that Jack rear ended Jill, but Jack had absolutely NO insurance. If Jill had Uninsured Motorist coverage, she could file an insurance claim on her own insurance since Jack had no insurance and receive compensation for damages.
- Suppose that Jack’s rear-end collision caused Jill to have serious injury, SO much so that she has to stay at the hospital for a week. If Jack only had $30,000.00 in liability insurance, that might not be enough to cover Jill’s $300,000.00 hospital stay. If Jill had Underinsured Motorist Coverage, she could possibly recover her medical costs regardless.
- Suppose that, after rear-ending Jill, Jack decides to flee the scene of the collision. Even though
Jack might have had liability insurance, the liability coverage does no good in this scenario, since Jill wasn’t able to collect that information. If Jill had UIM coverage she could file a claim on her own insurance and potentially recover compensatory damages such as medical bills, or lost wages.
Should I Get It?
It is always a good thing to be protected in the event that someone either does not have enough insurance or does not have insurance.
Ask yourself: Have you been injured in a motor vehicle collision? Do you have enough insurance to cover your medical expenses? Do you have the type of coverage that will protect you from a driver who does not have insurance? Better to be safe than sorry!
We Can Help You Utilize The Insurance Claim
At McKay Law, Lindsey McKay is keen on knowing how to utilize UM/UIM claims to help her clients potentially recover the compensatory damages they deserve. She can help navigate the next best steps in your specific situation. If you have been injured in an 18 Wheeler wreck, motorcycle wreck, or car wreck, call us! We are here to help! We offer free consultations to our injured clients 24/7! Reach us at (903) INJURED or (903) 999-2653.
