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Chapter Nine – Uninsured Motorist coverage

What Happens if Your Car is Hit by an Uninsured Driver?

Suppose again that you are forty years old and married, with two kids and a decent job and that you have the financial responsibilities described earlier: a house, your kids and their education, and your retirement plans and needs. Again, you’re driving home from work one day and a young guy loses control of his car, crosses into your lane, hits your car, and you are killed. Suppose the other driver has no insurance at all. What can your family expect financially for support after you’re gone?

From the other driver, probably nothing. If he has no insurance, he probably also has no assets. You can sue him, and you’ll probably win, but you will most likely never collect a dime from him. So how do you protect yourself? Through uninsured motorist coverage. This kind of insurance provides coverage for injuries you sustain when another driver causes you harm but has no insurance.

Why Buy Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

 

Uninsured motorist coverage is optional coverage; under Pennsylvania law you do not have to buy it. But if you do not buy it, and you are injured or killed in a car accident due to the negligence of an uninsured driver, you will not have any way to provide for your family. If you do buy uninsured motorist coverage and an accident occurs, you or your representative may then make a claim against your own insurance company for the benefits you bought for yourself.

 

 

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By purchasing uninsured motorist coverage, you provide a way to protect yourself and your family in the unfortunate event of such a car accident. Uninsured motorist coverage can be “stacked” just as underinsurance coverage can be (basically, by choosing coverage that multiplies the maximum amount of uninsured motorist coverage available times the number of vehicles covered under your policy). This is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to maximize your coverage to protect yourself and your family.

Remember, you buy insurance to protect yourself. Coverages such as uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages are ways for you to take a positive step to protect your family