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Why you Need Uninsured/Underinsured Insurance Protection in Charlotte
By: Kade Phillips, contributing writer at kanetix.com.
When it comes to the
mandatory car insurance categories, people in
Charlotte, often settle for the minimum amount necessary to satisfy the legal
requirements of driving a car in North Carolina.
Tragically, this is sometimes the cause of much suffering and heartache
if the unthinkable should happen, and they become involved in an automobile
accident in Charlotte, without sufficient insurance coverage to cover the
damages and injuries that could result.
The focus of this article is
uninsured motorist coverage (often referred
to as UM coverage) and
underinsured motorist coverage (often referred
to as UIM coverage), which is not a legal requirement of every state, but
should be seriously considered by every driver where this is an option.
Uninsured motorist coverage kicks in
when an uninsured driver causes
injury to you, or others designated in your policy. (Such as passengers,
household residents and designated drivers.) Underinsured motorist coverage
is similar, but takes effect when someone who is insured and is legally responsible
for the accident that causes injury to you or others designated by your policy,
does not have sufficient bodily injury liability insurance to cover the full
cost of your medical bills, lost income and other expenses. (Be sure to read
and understand the fine print on your policy, as each insurance company often
offers something slightly different from another.)
These types of coverage also offer protection to you and your designates
in cases of
hit-and-run type accidents and injuries that could be sustained
as a pedestrian involved in an automobile accident. UM and UIM insurance
coverage will protect you, up to the coverage limit that you purchase.
An important point to mention is that uninsured and underinsured motorist
insurance usually deals specifically with injuries and not with vehicle and
property damage resulting from an uninsured or underinsured driver who is
at-fault in an accident. Some states do allow uninsured motorist property
damage coverage, but damage to your car would typically be covered by collision
coverage and damage to other property by Property Damage Liability insurance.
There are several reasons that drivers in Charlotte should seriously consider
adding this kind of insurance protection or even increasing it if you already
have it.
Consider the following scenarios, and ask yourself what impact a
similar event would have on your life, your family’s lives and your financial
well being:
A) Many drivers in Charlotte, seeking to
save
money on their insurance costs opt for the minimum amount of auto insurance
required by law. Unfortunately, one of these minimally insured drivers is
the cause of a serious accident involving you and your family. After exhausting
the limits of their coverage, you are still out of pocket for a large sum
of money for your medical expenses, not to mention lost wages and pain and
suffering. You sue the other party and win, but you find out that one of the
reasons that they have the minimal insurance coverage is because they have
no financial resources to speak of.
B) You’re driving home from a short weekend getaway
with your spouse and kids. It’s become dark outside and has begun to rain
quite hard. Being the conscientious driver that you are, you slow down and
make sure that you come to a full stop at all stop signs and traffic lights,
being careful to check for oncoming traffic before going through intersections.
Halfway through one such intersection,
your vehicle is violently impacted
and that is the last thing you remember. When you come to, there is initially
no one around to witness the carnage. The other vehicle that was being driven
without their lights on and by a thoroughly drunk driver is nowhere to be
found. You are the victim of a hit-and-run accident. There is no one to sue
for your losses.
While we sincerely hope nothing of the sort ever happens to you, in both
of the above scenarios, Underinsured and Uninsured motorist coverage would
be there to help, where (depending on the state) the terms of basic auto insurance
would likely leave you in an extremely severe financial situation.
Thankfully, adding Underinsured and Uninsured motorist coverage will
not typically add that much extra to your auto insurance bill in Charlotte.
And, for this small additional cost to your premium each month, you can rest
easier knowing that you and the people you care about are as well protected
from disaster on the roads and highways of North Carolina as you can reasonably
plan for.
Kade Phillips is a contributing writer at kanetix.com,
Serving Charlotte car insurance quotes / Auto insurance quotes Charlotte.
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Disclaimer - The above description/explanation is intended as a guideline only, and is not to be interpreted as a recommendation to buy or sell any insurance products, or to provide legal or financial advice of any kind. Also, Kanetix Ltd. does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed.
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