Check Your Auto Insurance Coverage BY JOEL WILLIAMS
cause a wreck and damage someone else’s property. • Uninsured motorist coverage provides compensation for the victim if he or she suffers personal injuries or property damage in a wreck caused by an underinsured driver. • Medical payments coverage will pay the medical expenses of the insured, regardless of who caused the wreck.
Most of us lead busy lives and rarely stop to consider whether we have sufficient automobile insurance to cover the damages that can be caused by a car wreck. Insurance coverage is just one of those things that we only think about when we need it. Georgia requires drivers to purchase liability coverage that will cover a minimum of $25,000 in damages for property and bodily injury. Insurance companies also are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000. Is that enough? I often get calls from people who were in a car wreck, and they believe they have “full coverage.” After a little digging, I usually discover they have the bare minimum required by Georgia law. Sometimes, that is fine, because the damages are minor; however, when severe damages are involved, the choice to purchase minimum coverage often results in financial disaster for the at-fault driver, and the victim. There are four categories to consider when purchasing automobile insurance coverage.
With the cost of automobiles and medical care skyrocketing in recent years, we all should consider whether $25,000 is enough to replace a totaled vehicle, or an emergency room visit and surgery. According to a recent Kelly Blue Book study, the average price for a light vehicle was $42,258. Recently, one of my clients was taken to a local hospital after a wreck, and the emergency department care cost more than $37,500. Nearly every day, I encounter situations where there is not enough insurance to cover the damages caused by a car wreck. At a minimum, we should consider purchasing liability and uninsured motorist coverage of at least $100,000, to protect ourselves from financial disaster. You may be surprised at how little your premiums will increase if you increase your coverage.
• Liability bodily injury coverage protects us if we cause a wreck and hurt someone else. • Liability property damage coverage protects us if we
Joel Williams is a partner at Williams|Elleby, a Kennesawbased personal injury law firm. www.gatrialattorney.com.
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