An article in USA Today discussed the incredibly cost associated with increased numbers of uninsured motorists on the nation's roadways. The news is especially bad in Alabama, which was found to have the sixth highest number of uninsured drivers in the country.
According to the statistics, if you're in a car accident in Alabama, there's a good chance the other driver has no insurance. The highest rates of uninsured motorists, rating from 20 to 30 percent of all motorists, are all in the South. The states with the highest uninsured driver estimates were Mississippi (28%), New Mexico (26%), Tennessee (24%), Oklahoma (24%), and Florida (24%) and Alabama (22%). At the opposite end of the spectrum are the five states with the lowest uninsured driver estimates were Massachusetts (4%), Maine (4%), New York (5%), Pennsylvania (75) and Vermont (7%).
What do these numbers mean for you and your family? It means that if you are in an accident, there is a higher possibility that it will be with a driver who is uninsured. This would mean no coverage for the injuries you sustained except for the insurance that you purchased at your expense.
All 50 states have some mandatory insurance law. In Alabama, drivers are required to have at least bodily injury liability and property damage liability. If you're stopped by a police officer in Alabama and you do not have proof of insurance on your vehicle and you've been involved in an accident then you can receive a ticket at the scene.
There is one good thing you can do to protect yourself from uninsured or even under-insured drivers, and it's fairly cheap and easy. Go out and get yourself some uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is coverage that you buy as part of your own policy, in addition to your liability and comprehensive coverage that protects you in case an uninsured driver runs into you. Twenty states and the District of Columbia require uninsured motorist coverage, but Alabama does not.
It's important to point out that uninsured motorist coverage will not pay for repairs to your vehicle if you're involved in an accident. It will, however, cover some things like medical expenses or lost wages due to the accident. It also covers pain and suffering and even punitive damages.
It is important that you review what your UM and UIM coverage is. Keep in mind that if you have more than one car on your policy that you can stack your no fault polices to provide increased coverage. It is too late after an accident to find out that you didn't protect yourself. Most coverage increases aren't that much compared to the extra protection they provide.
Alabama's uninsured motorist laws can make pursuing financial compensation from an uninsured or underinsured driver tricky. An experienced Alabama car accident attorney can help you in navigating the state's uninsured motorist laws so you can gain the maximum amount of compensation you're entitled to. If someone you know has been the victim of such an accident and you need assistance, contact one of Martinson & Beason's skilled Birmingham auto accident lawyers today.
Source: "One in seven drivers have no insurance," by Larry Copeland, published at USAToday.com.
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