Recent Accidents Show the Importance of an Auto Insurance Review

The in that has left one family reeling from the loss of their father and husband, is tragic. While there will likely be many discussions about the fact that the driver of the car that allegedly caused the accident was an illegal immigrant, and that he was convicted of drunk driving in the past, the simple fact is that the unexpected can and does happen every day.

While no amount of money can even begin to compensate for the loss of a father and spouse, or devastating personal injuries, there will be financial issues for the families involved. The financial issues can be ameliorated somewhat through insurance. Many families today have some sort of life insurance policy for accidental death and most have some sort of private or group health insurance plan.

But, the sad fact is that there are a lot of drivers on Virginia highways who are driving with little or no insurance. Remember that form you filled out the last time you registered your car with the Virginia DMV? You can check off a box that says you don’t have ANY liability car insurance! Yes, it’s perfectly legal to drive a car in Virginia without any liability insurance.

There is an answer to this problem. In Virginia, you can buy insurance that covers yourself and your family. However, if the person who caused the accident carried little or no insurance there is a provision available called “uninsured motorist” or “underinsured motorist” coverage. The likelihood is that you have this type of insurance if you bought a Virginia car insurance policy. The problem is that you probably don’t have enough.

How much of this insurance should you have? In my view, at least $500,000. Although most insurance companies will sell you up to $1,000,000 of coverage.

Why is this so important? Well, first, because of the fact that there are people out there causing accidents who do not carry insurance.

Second, your medical bills can get astronomical and fast. A day in the intensive care unit can easily exceed $100,000.

Third, another little known fact is that under most employer-provided health benefit plans, money that the plan pays out must be repaid to the plan if you get a recovery from a negligent driver. So, even if you have health insurance it is little more than a glorified loan today. This can cut drastically into your recovery or leave you with no recovery at all for pain and suffering, disfigurement and inconvenience.

It is important to note that we are not talking about umbrella coverage here. When you call your insurance company they might try to sell you umbrella coverage instead of $1,000,000 of uninsured motorist coverage. They are not the same thing. Umbrella coverage usually provides no additional protection against uninsured drivers.

What you want to do is to call your car insurance agent and ask them this question: What would it cost to increase my uninsured motorist limits to $1,000,000. They will know what you are talking about and should quote you a slightly increased premium, which is well worth the cost.

Ben Glass is a personal injury attorney in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the author of Five Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Virginia Accident Claim (www.TheAccidentBook.com) and of How to Buy Car Insurance in Virginia (TheInsuranceBook.com). Both books are free to local residents. Mr. Glass also provides free reviews of family insurance policies for Northern Virginia residents. He has a video that compares insurance policies at www.AgentMalpractice.com.