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Questions About Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Shopping around for auto insurance, and wondering if you need uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage? Here are a few questions you're likely to have about this additional type of coverage you can purchase.

Why Do You Need Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

The purpose of having auto insurance in general is to protect you if you were to get into an accident. There is coverage that is designed to pay for damages that you cause to other drivers on the road, and to cover damages that you cause to your own vehicle. However, what do you do if you get into an accident with a driver that doesn't have insurance or not enough of it? That's where uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage comes into play. 

What Is Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Having uninsured motorist coverage protects you if the other driver has no insurance at all. You can file a claim with your own insurance company and have them pick up the tab for your expenses related to the accident. This includes damage to your vehicle and medical bills as a result of any injury.

Underinsured motorist coverage gives you protection if the other driver doesn't have a great policy, and your damages end up exceeding their policy limits. Your insurance company pays for everything that you would have to pay out of your own pocket. 

Just like other aspects of your auto insurance, you need to decide on what your coverage limits are for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Your insurance company will only pay out up to the policy limits you decide on.

Why Not Sue The Other Driver For Damages?

Without insurance, you would typically sue the other driver responsible for the crash to receive compensation for the damages that they caused. However, that is not always easy to do. It can be expensive to take another driver to court, and winning your case doesn't always mean that you'll receive the money that you are owed in a timely fashion.

If the responsible driver doesn't have any cash or assets to pay for the judgment, it's very possible that you won't be able to receive the money that you are owed. The court would have to resort to wage garnishment, which is a slow process that can take many years to receive the money that you need immediately.

Your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage keeps the process simple. The coverage is designed specifically for situations just like this and will ensure that you do not need to fight to get the money you deserve. To learn more information about auto insurance, reach out to a company such as Illinois Insurance Center Inc


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