Why should you give the insurance company more money for Personal Injury Protection and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Because car wrecks happen. They happen to you, they happen to me, they happen to any person who has been in or will be in a moving vehicle. Even if you’re as careful as a naked man climbing a barbed wire fence, they can still happen, because let’s face it, there are more people in the world like this than there are of you.
The first rule of driving is to ALWAYS have insurance. Do you have liability for bodily injury (like the state of Texas requires)? Yes. Good. That means when you are at fault, the other persons injuries will be paid for by your insurance company. But what about when you are the victim? That is what things like Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) protection is for. Don’t decline these. Because if that kid whose texting while driving only has the state required minimum coverage, and you end up taking a ride in an ambulance to the E.R. and need any extended care, chances are your medical bills will easily reach beyond $30,000.00 minimum.
PIP usually provides about $2,500 in coverage, regardless of fault for the accident. It costs very little per month and is very easy to get. Oftentimes, if it’s just a minor injury, PIP will cover all of your bills and can be sent straight to your doctor or chiropractor. It actually comes with your car insurance unless you sign to waive it. So don’t, keep it, use it, and be happy about it later.
UM/UIM is for the big stuff, or for when someone without insurance hits you and you are injured. It’s not terribly expensive, and is way better than having to pay out of pocket for medical bills and treatment from an accident that wasn’t even your fault. It covers the bills that go beyond the at fault drivers coverage, up to the limit you selected when purchasing insurance.
So, to sum it up, as much as I hate to advocate for making insurance companies more $ so they can spend it on useful things like sponsoring the World Series instead of paying out claims, it really is the smart thing to do.
by: Ryan Lee at Smith and Lee, Lawyers, P.C.