Why Is Uninsured/underinsured Motorist Coverage Important?
Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 506
If you have the unfortunate experience of being injured in a wreck through the fault of an irresponsible driver, your options for financial compensation can be substantially affected by the type and amount of coverage in automobile insurance you have purchased.
There are many people driving on the highways who do not obey the law requiring liability insurance. Many more people, while obeying the law, carry only the bare minimum amount of coverage required by law. If you are seriously injured by negligence of a driver in these circumstances, you may find yourself without a sufficient source of recovery.
A way to deal with this problem is through the purchase of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If an uninsured motorist negligently injures you, and you have purchased uninsured motorist coverage, then your automobile insurance company is responsible to compensate you, up to the amount of its policy limits, for the amount of damages that you are legally entitled from the uninsured motorist. In some states, such as Alabama, if you are injured by negligence of a motorist who has some liability insurance, but not enough to completely compensate you for your damages, then your own automobile insurance company may be liable for these excess damages.
It is wise to purchase a substantial amount of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If your insurance agent suggests that you can save money on premiums by rejecting your right to such coverage, you should carefully consider the possibility that you might someday be faced with being inadequately compensated due to inadequate coverage on the part of some irresponsible driver.