Injured By An Uninsured Driver? We Can Help.
Georgia law requires drivers to have at least a minimum amount of automobile liability insurance. Unfortunately, if you are seriously injured in a car accident with a driver who only has the minimum required coverage, that amount of insurance will not come anywhere close to covering the cost of your medical treatment, lost income, pain and suffering, or other accident-related expenses.
That is why many people choose to purchase uninsured motorist insurance coverage, commonly called UM coverage. At the Law Office of Perry Dean Ellis, P.C., we strongly encourage you to add UM coverage to your auto insurance policy if you haven’t already. If you are unsure of whether you have this type of insurance coverage after a crash, our attorneys can review your policy, determine whether you have uninsured motorist coverage, and use that to increase the compensation you will recover from your accident.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is a nuanced area of law. If you have questions, contact us today at 404-692-7474 for a free consultation. We represent injury victims in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.
How UM Coverage Works
In our view, anyone who has automobile insurance should have UM coverage. It is not mandatory to have it, but if you don’t get it, you could be very sorry if you suffer injuries in a hit-and-run or a collision with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Generally, UM coverage can be added to an insurance policy for a very small additional cost that you pay in your premium. What this type of coverage allows is for you to recover compensation for bodily injury after an accident in which the at-fault party has no insurance or not enough insurance. You can also use your UM coverage for a bodily injury claim if the at-fault party is a hit-and-run driver who leaves the scene of the accident.
Typical Coverage Amounts
In Georgia, the minimum required auto insurance amounts are as follows:
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 for one person injured
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 total for multiple people injured
- Property damage liability: $25,000
When you consider that the cost of one hospital visit or surgery could quickly exceed $25,000, you see the importance of having uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
When you purchase UM insurance coverage, we recommend getting at least $100,000/$300,000 in bodily injury coverage. Also, make sure it is the ADD-ON kind of UM coverage. This means that you are covered for up to $100,000 in UM coverage per person in an accident in addition to whatever amounts of liability coverage that the at-fault driver has. In this case, if multiple people are injured in the accident, the maximum paid out in UM coverage would be $300,000, which is far more helpful than dividing up the minimum UM coverage limits of $50,000 between multiple people.
Sometimes people have UM insurance coverage but are not aware of it. If you are unsure about these matters after a crash with an uninsured driver, contact our lawyers as soon as possible.
Can I Purchase More UIM After An Accident?
When you purchase your auto insurance policy, you also have the option of buying uninsured motorist insurance coverage. While Georgia does not require every driver to have UIM, it is always best to have it just in case. However, many insurers offer add-on policies.
Get A Free Consultation
To arrange a free consultation, please call 404-692-7474 or send us an email. Our skilled and dedicated lawyers can sort through the legal and insurance matters and help you get the full and fair compensation you deserve.
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