The numbers are shocking: approximately 12.6% of American drivers did not purchase car insurance in 2012. Getting the monetary compensation you require to deal with injuries sustained from an accident involving an at-fault uninsured driver can be difficult, as you cannot turn to an insurance company. With that said, you can protect yourself from these situations by purchasing Uninsured Motorist (UM) insurance. Here are 3 terms and conditions you should consider.
The Type of Medical Injuries Covered
UM insurance is designed to cover the cost of medical bills should you get into a car accident with an uninsured driver. With that said, make sure you carefully go through the insurance policy to determine whether there are any limitations to the type of medical injuries that are covered. In addition, some insurance policies may have restrictions on the type of medical treatments and medications that will be covered. For example, the insurance may cover only certain type of surgeries and not the rehabilitative treatment that is needed afterwards.
Maximum Caps on Compensation that Can Be Paid Out
Another important feature to look at is whether there are any maximum caps on the amount of compensation that the policy will put out. If there are limitations and restrictions, it's important to determine whether the policy will only cover a set amount or whether the policy will pay out for only a certain period of time. Keep in mind that serious and severe injuries can be rather costly and time-consuming to deal with. It's also important to determine whether there are any specific limitations placed on the driver or the passengers.
The Type of Accidents Covered
While UM insurance is usually used to cover accidents where both you and the uninsured driver are in separate vehicles, some insurance policies will cover other types of accidents as well. This may include hit-and-run accidents or even accidents where you are a pedestrian who has gotten hit by an uninsured driver on the road. Consider what type of accidents can be claimed under different specific types of UM insurance policy.
Conclusion
With so many uninsured drivers on the road, it's crucial that you take action to protect yourself should you find yourself a victim in these types of accidents. UM insurance policies can usually be easily added to existing basic car insurance packages for only a small cost. It's a worthwhile investment considering the amount of heartache and headache the policy can save you from.
For more information, talk to a professional like Northeast Insurance Agency.
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