Underinsured Motorist Coverage in California
Imagine you were in a car accident in California and the other driver was completely at fault. After the accident, you racked up medical bills, lost wages from missing work and had your world turned upside-down. It seems like a no-brainer that the other driver’s insurance company would compensate you for all of the money you were out, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case because the insurance company will only compensate you for the amount of insurance the other driver purchased. Since California only requires drivers to purchase a minimum of $15,000 of insurance, you can imagine the untenable position an injured driver could be in.
The good news is that you can protect yourself from the above situation by purchasing underinsured motorist coverage. This insurance coverage steps in to pay you the difference between what you received and what you would have been entitled to recover had the negligent driver kept adequate car insurance. The coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to the liability coverage you are required to purchase, and it lets you rest easy knowing that should you be involved in an accident, you will be compensated for all of the past, present and future damages you suffered/will suffer in the future.
You can add underinsured motorist coverage to your current automobile liability policy – just give your agent a call. Remember though, this coverage only kicks in if you were not at fault for the accident, if your underinsured policy amount exceeds the insurance policy amount of the negligent driver and if you make the claim to your insurance company within two years from the date of the accident. Making an underinsured motorist claim can be tricky, so be sure to have an experienced insurance attorney assist you in the process – Blasser Law would be honored to help you.
Protect yourself and keep your peace of mind!