Under-Insured Motorist Coverage?

Joined
Oct 16, 2024
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Location
Cumming, Georgia USA
Bike
2007 ST-1300
2025 Miles
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Suggestion: Many states require that drivers purchase an uninsured motorist policy in addition to their own liability coverage on their vehicles

and at least in my state uninsured motorist coverage only applies when the person that hit you has absolutely no insurance (paid for and in full effect on that particular day and time)

or they fled from the scene and can't be found.

However, few states if any require UNDER-insured coverage . That's a supplemental add-onto clause in the policy that says if you are injured by somebody else who doesn't have a very high policy limit on their plan, your own plan will kick in to make up the difference (up to a certain limit of its own of course.)

YOU pay for this and you choose the coverage limit that you're comfortable with and think is realistic.

I had such an Under-Insured Motorist plan for the first two years that I rode out on the public streets, then I decided to save money: so I not only switched insurance companies but I dropped that type of coverage.

I kept a pretty low liability policy of my own and uninsured motorist coverage (I think I may have kept comprehensive to cover deer collisions; it wasn't much $).

But I dropped the supplemental coverage that would kick in if the At-Fault driver's own policy had a low limit.

Well ... two weeks ago I got hit by a distracted driver who plowed into me as I sat at a red light.

His insurance policy might have a $15,000 limit.
I'll bet my first visit to the emergency room was close to that!

And since then I've had a whole series of follow up appointments with other doctors: a neurologist, orthopedic, etc, and every one wants a different type of imaging:
x-rays
CAT scans
MRIs
ultrasound...

$$$$$$$

An article about this possible problem,
and this one's written by Progressive,
which happens to be both my insurance company for this year and the insure of the vehicle that ran me down!

https://www.progressive.com/answers/uninsured-vs-underinsured-coverage/
 
if his entire [and aggregate] skin in the game is the $15,000 that his underwriter had to stick their neck out for, you kind of get it; chances are, just to be legally driving and grossly uderinsured, he was still probably paying a couple grand a year for that extortion rate policy that no real insurance company would even try to hedge
 
I've covered that topic long ago but the posts were lost in the 'great purge' ... ;)
In Tennessee, you have uninsured/underinsured coverage and most MC policies low ball that.
But the way it works here, your insurance company goes after the 'perp' for their coverage, your 'U' coverage kicks in and then YOU kick in.
Remember that little thing you sign that says you are ultimately responsible for the bill (usually required to get treatment)?
So in a catastrophic accident with someone who has no/little coverage and your 'U' coverage is low, you can be facing some major medical expense out of your pocket when you are the victim of the accident.
If the perp has no assets (which often happens) all you have is a 'dry' well to try to get anything out of.
I upped my 'U' coverage on all my policies as a dear friend of mine was in that situation but had a high level of 'U' coverage.
If he had not, he could have lost his house and his assets in the deal from his very serious injuries.
I do not know how it works in 'no fault' states as there are some out there like New York.
 
I have always carried U & U ins coverage on my vehicles. Paid off in 1990 when a guy hit my wife who was seriously hurt (they weren't sure she was going to survive) and he had state min required insurance (I think it was $13K at the time). She did survive, but the hospital bills were astronomical which my U ins ended up covering. There was no going back on him as he had nothing, lived with his parents, didn't work. We just had to move on. She still has issues with the injuries but has learned to live with them.
 
Get a lawyer.
Lawyers are great - if the perp has any assets (and usually they don't).
If not, only the lawyers get any money. ;)
You can get a big 'judgement' handed down but if there's nothing to go against, it's just a piece of paper.
The perp's insurance company is only on the hook for the 'insured' amount.
 
If your state allows you can stack your motorcycle policies under the UIM coverage on your primary four wheel vehicle. I save a lot of money doing this and still have the higher UIM of the car on the bikes.
Can you do that if your MC and auto policies are with different companies?
 
I don’t think so.
Thanks - I would have been surprised if you could.
But if all is insured with one company, that is definitely something to look into!
Not my situation now but it may be a little later down the line ... ;)
 
It is my understanding that in Ohio uninsured coverage is for medical only - to cover your medical bills (maybe passengers - I don't know). It will not pay for damage to your auto or bike. Any Ohio guys who can add to this...am I correct? @the Ferret?
 
It is my understanding that in Ohio uninsured coverage is for medical only - to cover your medical bills (maybe passengers - I don't know). It will not pay for damage to your auto or bike. Any Ohio guys who can add to this...am I correct? @the Ferret?
I wish I could tell you, I'm not sure. I would think uninsured would cover your vehicle.
 
We have a government underwritten no-fault insurance plan here in Quebec for bodily injury. The way that it works is that it covers everyone for all bodily injury as a result of an accident on a public road anywhere in the world. It also covers all of the expenses incurred as a result of that accident including a salary replacement indemnity. I had a serious car accident in 2011 when I was hit by a woman who was drunk. I was unable to work for over a year. This plan meant that there was never any danger of me loosing my house, or my vehicles, or going hungry due to no income. I never even missed a pay period. It also meant that, in combination with our universal healthcare, there was never any fighting with insurance companies over treatment. If a Doctor decided that something was necessary it was provided no questions asked. The Doctors decide treatment not the insurance companies. In almost all cases it also removes the need for lawyers, lengthy court battles, and the uncertainty of being in an accident with someone who is uninsured or under-insured. Additional endorsements to protect us from others who are uninsured or under-insured do not even exist here as far as I know, or at least I have never heard mention of them. None of this matters as the coverage is there regardless of the other persons insurance status and/or financial resources. Having gone through the system I can state that there are things about it that I don't like. At the same time I also don't think that I would relish having to hire lawyers and going through lengthy court battles while still facing the ever present possibility that I may still end up with nothing even if I win the case because the other party has nothing so there is nothing to get from them.

In the end, unfortunately, I suspect that there is no perfect system regardless of who sponsors it, private or public. Every system will always leave us wanting for something. If there was a system that addressed every single possible concern to the complete satisfaction of all of its participants I suspect that it would be unaffordable to most of us.

Clearly you were not at fault as you were hit from behind while at a red light. I hope that all of the present and future losses that you suffer as a result of this accident will be covered to your satisfaction. Good luck with it.
 
It is my understanding that in Ohio uninsured coverage is for medical only - to cover your medical bills (maybe passengers - I don't know). It will not pay for damage to your auto or bike. Any Ohio guys who can add to this...am I correct? @the Ferret?
A broader view of UIM in FL is if we survive the accident and heal to the point of returning home yet we are permanently disabled, UIM will pay for necessary durable devices and structural changes to the home necessary to accommodate disability. That is how my insurance agent explained it to me and why it is necessary to have it.
 
We have a government underwritten no-fault insurance plan here in Quebec for bodily injury....

Sounds very similar to the compulsory third party (CTP) insurance we have in Australia. In Victoria (my State) this managed through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). All motor vehicles must be registered and have CTP, annual fees are currently around AU$800 per private vehicle; commercial & business vehicle are substanially higher.

For us the $800 per vehicle (two cars and one - recently two - motorcycle) it is a significant drain on the budget - not sure how a work colleague with four cars and 10 motorbikes registered managed, but that's a different story.

Although a significant drain, it's worth it. Over the years and a few minor incidents TAC has paid all injury related medical costs (all these are covered regardless of the status of the other driver's insurance). The most recent incident was the March 2023 "off" on the Great Alpine Road, posted previously, but here's a refresher.

1766281096048.png

1766281157417.png
  • Ambulance and two paramedics from Omeo (23km) - $0
  • Ambulance and two paramedics from Bright (86km) - $0
  • Ambulance transport to Wangaratta (165km) - $0
  • Two nights in Wangaratta Hospital - $0
  • Ambulance transfer from Wangarrata to Melbourne (close to home and family visits) - $0
  • Three nights in hospital in Melbourne - $0
  • Follow-up consulation with doctors and back specialist / surgeon - $0
  • Back surgery and one night hospital stay - $0 (without TAC, would've been $17,000)
The TAC fee seems expenive, yeah, but it's worth it.
 
Lawyers are great - if the perp has any assets (and usually they don't).
If not, only the lawyers get any money. ;)
You can get a big 'judgement' handed down but if there's nothing to go against, it's just a piece of paper.
The perp's insurance company is only on the hook for the 'insured' amount.
He needs a lawyer...
In Georgia, the minimum car insurance required is 25/50/25 liability coverage, meaning $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage per accident, plus uninsured motorist coverage; this pays for damages you cause to others if you're at fault, but not your own car or injuries.

50k and 25k is plenty to go around
 
We have a government underwritten no-fault insurance plan here in Quebec for bodily injury. The way that it works is that it covers everyone for all bodily injury as a result of an accident on a public road anywhere in the world. It also covers all of the expenses incurred as a result of that accident including a salary replacement indemnity. I had a serious car accident in 2011 when I was hit by a woman who was drunk. I was unable to work for over a year. This plan meant that there was never any danger of me loosing my house, or my vehicles, or going hungry due to no income. I never even missed a pay period. It also meant that, in combination with our universal healthcare, there was never any fighting with insurance companies over treatment. If a Doctor decided that something was necessary it was provided no questions asked. The Doctors decide treatment not the insurance companies. In almost all cases it also removes the need for lawyers, lengthy court battles, and the uncertainty of being in an accident with someone who is uninsured or under-insured. Additional endorsements to protect us from others who are uninsured or under-insured do not even exist here as far as I know, or at least I have never heard mention of them. None of this matters as the coverage is there regardless of the other persons insurance status and/or financial resources. Having gone through the system I can state that there are things about it that I don't like. At the same time I also don't think that I would relish having to hire lawyers and going through lengthy court battles while still facing the ever present possibility that I may still end up with nothing even if I win the case because the other party has nothing so there is nothing to get from them.

In the end, unfortunately, I suspect that there is no perfect system regardless of who sponsors it, private or public. Every system will always leave us wanting for something. If there was a system that addressed every single possible concern to the complete satisfaction of all of its participants I suspect that it would be unaffordable to most of us.

Clearly you were not at fault as you were hit from behind while at a red light. I hope that all of the present and future losses that you suffer as a result of this accident will be covered to your satisfaction. Good luck with it.
As it should be. Glad you were taken care of across the board.
 
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