There will be more drivers riding their cars without insurance or without adequate insurance to protect you.  Uninsured motorist coverage is your way of protecting against this risk.

Imagine for a moment, another driver hits you from behind by failing to stop at a stop light – a common occurrence. Now imagine the other driver runs off or has no insurance, but that your seriously injured. Your uninsured motorist coverage will pay for hospitalization and rehabilitation to bring you back to health. However, these bills can mount rapidly and $50,000 — even $100,000 — may not be enough. We recommend at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident uninsured motorist coverage for individuals and small families that own property. More coverage is required, especially if you have no health insurance due to unemployment or for other reasons.

Medical coverage is helpful in the same situation, when the at-fault party in an accident doesn’t have enough insurance. Medical coverage pays for the same types of expenses that are paid by uninsured motorist coverage, but medical coverage pays out immediately when bills are due. With uninsured motorist coverage, injuries may need to be fully restored before payments are made. Medical coverage is primary insurance and pays first with a claim against your policy. It’s a worthwhile coverage to have, especially if you do not have any health insurance on your own or if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan.

There are many issues to consider when deciding on the appropriate limit for uninsured motorist coverage and medical insurance coverage on your auto insurance. It’s best to consult someone who has experience with the issues involved, and it’s definitely a wise decision to review the coverages now. Don’t wait until it’s too late, especially these days when more people are driving without adequate insurance. We’re seeing many folks cut back on important expenses like auto insurance this year. A warning is in order. Now is the time to be even more vigilant and confirm that your auto insurance coverages are set right for your individual and family situations.

The Wall Street Journal reports on page D1 today that the economy is taking it’s toll on people’s pocketbooks and one place they turn to reduce expenses is their auto insurance policy. However, auto insurance companies have very strict payment plans, and when you don’t pay, they terminate coverage.

Policy terminations put all of us at risk. The person without coverage can lose everything they own  after lawsuits are settled. The person with coverage can lose, too, if they don’t have adequate uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage. This is a special coverage that we’ve posted on earlier this year. Paul wrote about the solution here. Feel free to call with to learn how to prevent uninsured and under-insured motorists from ruining your dreams.