Imagine this car crash scenario: You are driving down the road when suddenly, you see brake lights in front of you. You hit your brakes, but it is too late. Your car crashes into the vehicle in front of you and is smashed by the three cars behind you. You don’t think it can happen to you? Think again. We get calls from people who experience car crashes like this and tell us that they never thought this would happen to them. We got a call recently from a family who was involved in a five-car pile-up. We reminded them and want to remind you that significant accidents like this are another reason to make sure you have UM (Uninsured Motorist) Coverage.
This particular family was driving home from the beach in Florida over the weekend. The last thing on their mind was their insurance policy coverage and limits. But it is going to be a life-altering factor in what happens next. The family was driving home to Atlanta through Macon, Georgia, when a driver blasted through the onramp at 75 North, crossed all three lanes of traffic, slammed into the car right in front of them, and caused a five-car pile-up. Everybody was driving at speeds over 65 miles an hour, and as you can imagine, the damages were severe. Every member of the family who was in the vehicle is now hospitalized and going to need surgery. But how can the insurance policy of the driver who was at fault cover all of the medical bills when they only have between $25,000 to $50,000 in coverage for multiple injuries?
There simply is no way that $50,000 will be anywhere near enough to cover the damages for this accident, considering that there are at least three injured people needing surgery that we know about, plus other injuries from people in other vehicles. We anticipate that the damages are going to be far above the policy limits of the coverage that the at-fault driver has. That’s where UM (Uninsured Motorist) Coverage comes into play.
The car accident attorneys at Rohan Law help people who are hurt by negligent drivers carrying no or low limits of liability. In cases like this, where the policy limits of the at-fault driver are likely exceeded, we look to file claims against our client’s own insurance policies. We look for UM coverage. If we can establish that there is UM coverage on our client’s car insurance policy, we will pursue the damages against it. This is why we urge all of our clients and future clients to get UM coverage NOW before they are in a situation where they may need it.
You have to plan for the accident before you have it because, otherwise, it will be too late.
Think of this: car crashes happen all of the time, and car insurance is a gamble. You have to know that you are protected in case something happens.
So if you have not done so already, call your insurance agent and ask them for UM coverage. We recommend a minimum of $100,000 in additional coverage, which can cost you about $10-$50 more in insurance premiums a month, depending on your insurance company. UM insurance coverage is not particularly expensive when you consider the benefits. It is not something standard that is included in all policies, so you have to request it.
If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve got coverage or whether or not you have enough coverage, send us a copy of the declarations page of your car insurance policy. We will be happy to look at it for free, and we will make sure that you’ve got the coverage you need. Call us today. (404) 923-0446. Or you can email it: info@RohanLawPC.com.