According to a 2014 study by the Insurance Research Council, an estimated $2.6 billion was paid in the U.S. on uninsured motorists claims in 2012. This is why you and your family need the maximum coverage on your auto insurance policy!
Uninsured and underinsured motorists are a major safety hazard in New York and New Jersey. A car accident involving an uninsured or underinsured motorist can be a frustrating and unfair process.
– Does your auto insurance coverage adequately protect you and your family from an accident involving an uninsured driver?
– Does your auto insurance coverage adequately protect you and your family from an accident involving an underinsured driver?
– Does your auto insurance coverage have full, not limited, tort coverage?
The amount of uninsured/underinsured coverage depends on your net worth. Generally, we recommend to all of our clients supplementary uninsured motorist protection in the amount of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. In the event you are injured in a crash where the offending vehicle has minimum insurance ($25,000 in New York), then you can recover the balance of your damages for past and future pain and suffering from your insurance company, making a claim against your own insurance company’s policy.
Insurance companies have very little incentive to offer uninsured motorist coverage above the mandated amount of $25,000. Thus, it is recommended that for a small additional premium you increase your limits of uninsured/underinsured coverage to at least $100,000 per person or possibly more depending on your ability to pay an additional premium in the amount of coverage you desire.
What we suggest is that you review your automobile declaration page. Look to see if you have supplementary uninsured motorist coverage or uninsured/underinsured coverage in an amount in excess of $25,000 if you live in New York. If you do not have coverage in excess of this amount, we recommend that you call your insurance broker or carrier and request an increase in the amount of coverage. By increasing coverage, you effectively have raised the limits of every other driver on the road who may be uninsured or underinsured to the limits of your own policy.
By spending a small amount of additional premium to obtain supplementary uninsured or underinsured coverage, you are protecting yourself and your family by making it more likely that you will be fully and adequately compensated for all your injuries and damages if you are ever involved in a car crash.
If you have questions about what auto insurance coverage you should have for maximum protection, call Fellows Hymowitz Rice today and we’ll be glad to discuss this with you.
What is important to understand is that it will only cost you a little bit more each month to have the right auto insurance coverage, and without it, your life can change overnight.
If you or a loved one is seriously injured in a car accident that was not your fault, or if have questions about your auto insurance coverage, call Fellows Hymowitz Rice at 845-639-9300.
When you call, you will receive a FREE consultation with one of our experienced, dedicated New York and New Jersey Car Accident attorneys. At Fellows Hymowitz Rice, we will speak with you for free, investigate every detail of your situation, and help ensure that your rights are protected. If we take your case, you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we recover for you.
At Fellows Hymowitz Rice, we don’t get paid until you do.
Fellows Hymowitz Rice – The Right Lawyers Make a Real Difference