Uninsured/ Under-insured Motorists Coverage

Here at Ballenger Insurance we are always promoting higher liability limits and Uninsured/ Under-insured Motorists coverage (UM/ UIM). We came across a great article/ newsletter from a couple of well know and trusted attorneys here in the treasure valley, Bruce Skaug and Matt Andrew. They portray the extreme importance of higher limits and UM/ UIM coverage first hand. Please read the newsletter below:

“This simple insurance tweak can save your bacon. Have you looked at your auto policy uninsured/ under-insured motorist coverage? Why do I ask? Read this victim’s story -- “I was on the interstate and a driver in front of me made a sudden U-turn and drove the wrong way. I had a massive collision with her. “I survived but she was killed on impact. God rest her soul. “My medical bills are $200K and increasing due to multiple surgeries. “The deceased driver only had $25K medical coverage through her insurance. My coverage was only $5K for personal medical coverage. “I am wheelchair bound at the moment and cannot get up to do anything. I know I should be grateful for being alive, but I feel instead of surviving the crash it would’ve been better for me to have died. “I have no idea how I am going to pay my medical bills. I am depressed beyond belief. Am I completely out of luck?” As injury attorneys, we have heard stories like this too many times. My associate, attorney Matt Andrew, shares what you can do to protect yourself. You can read his counsel below. Please be careful out there, Bruce D. Skaug Attorney at Law.”

“Matt’s advice. Unfortunately, I see cases far too often where someone’s life has been devastated by an uninsured or under-insured driver. You cannot control the actions of other people on the road, but you can make sure your own insurance company will protect you. In the story Bruce shared above, there are now very few options. It’s far too late for this victim to protect herself. This is why I advise people to obtain or increase their uninsured/ under-insured motorist coverage. It is a small cost with big benefits. This poor soul, with $200,000 in medical bills, is exactly why this coverage exists. Although she could not control the action of the other driver, she could have gotten inexpensive under-insured motorist insurance that would have paid above and beyond her $25,000 policy limit. In Idaho, insurers are actually required to offer uninsured/ under-insured motorist coverage. But you are not required to purchase it. Many people decline the coverage, assuming that if someone else causes a vehicle collision, that person will have the insurance to take care of you. Big mistake! The good news is that this insurance coverage is fairly inexpensive for the protection you receive. And from the many sad cases I’ve seen, it is very wise for you to carry more insurance than the minimum. Insurance is a great product! I can pay someone to take on my risk. In most cases, it only costs $5 or $10 more a month to protect yourself from uninsured or under-insured drivers. Call your agent. Make sure you have sufficient coverage. At the very least you should have $100,000 of uninsured/ under-insured coverage. My family and I have a $1 million uninsured/ under-insured policy. There is no way I want to risk being responsible for huge medical bills associated with a car crash. And I certainly don’t want to place my financial future in the hands of a reckless driver, hoping they have enough insurance coverage to fix the damage to my family.”