How to Buy Auto Insurance: An Auto Accident Attorney’s Perspective

The advice of an insurance agent is the best way to decide which type of auto insurance you should purchase. If you are looking to avoid financial ruin due to serious injury, the Kentucky Auto Accident Attorney may be of value to your needs. Over 20 years as an auto accident lawyer, I know the importance of auto insurance coverages for my clients and their families.

Uninsured Motorist Insurance:
This coverage covers injuries that are caused by an individual who doesn’t have insurance at the time of the accident. Many people drive around with no insurance and cause an excessive number of accidents. Irresponsibility breeds irresponsibility.

Insurance for Motorists Underinsured:
This insurance covers injuries that are caused by an individual who does not have sufficient insurance to cover your claim. An auto accident lawyer representing victims of car accidents will use this coverage most often. You should have as much as possible. Kentucky’s minimum liability coverage is $25,000.00, and most drivers have this minimum. $25,000.00 does not cover personal injury claims. Personal injury lawyer, I can file a claim against your insurance company for underinsured motorist coverage (also known as “UIM”) if the victim of the accident doesn’t have enough insurance.
It is very affordable, which is the good news about Underinsured Driver Coverage. It is required by law for insurance companies to offer it. At the minimum, you should have at least as much UIM coverage as liability coverage. Many insurance agents don’t educate their clients about the coverage and how affordable it is.

Additional PIP/No Fault Coverage
Kentucky law requires that you purchase $10,000.00 in Personal Injuries Protection Benefits. These benefits can also be called basic reparation benefits or kentucky benefits without fault. This coverage covers medical expenses, lost wages, and other replacement costs. Kentucky requires that you purchase $10,000.00 worth of coverage. However, agents may not tell you that you can buy more. Consider buying additional no-fault coverage in increments of $10,000.00, as you might need the wage loss coverage. Otherwise, $10,000.00 could quickly evaporate. Over the years I have seen many clients struggle to pay their bills after exhausting their $10,000.00 for medical expenses. Because health insurance companies pay less these days, additional no-fault coverage has become more important. This means that you will have to pay more for your medical bills out-of-pocket if you don’t have it.

EXCEPTIONAL COVERAGE
Would you pay $800.00 to get $500,000.00 liability coverage for your two cars and then I tell you that you can increase the coverage to $1 million for $150.00 This is known as an excess policy. For a small premium, you can significantly increase your coverage. The good news is that most excess policies also include coverages for Uninsured and Underinsured motorist. Ask your agent to confirm that these coverages are available.

Do we need to look at other ways to save money on our car insurance? No! There are some coverages that are worthwhile and I recommend that you price them at least so you can decide if they are feasible for you. In Kentucky, every year thousands are injured or killed in auto accidents. Anyone would be foolish to believe that they are immune from serious auto accidents at some point in their lives. As a personal injury lawyer, I encourage you to get the right insurance coverages.