As a personal injury lawyer, I see firsthand how inadequate insurance can affect a person after an accident. It’s tough enough to deal with the accident, the injuries, and everything that comes with it. But finding out that your recovery may be limited because of insurance issues only compounds things. Here’s my advice on how you can protect yourself and your family.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Every auto policy in Texas, by default, has uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of $30,000. Unfortunately, in an effort to lower the premium, people often elect to waive this coverage. And they find out later how important it was. If an uninsured driver causes an accident and injures you or a family member, this coverage will come in and provide compensation where there would otherwise be none. Or if someone with minimum limits of $30,000 causes a wreck, underinsured motorist coverage will pay after those minimum limits have been exhausted so that you are not left holding the bag for significant medical bills and injuries. Check your policy today – this is important coverage and the more you can obtain, the better. You can’t control how much coverage the other guy has, but you can always control how much you have.
Personal Injury Protection
If you or a family member are injured in a wreck, you are likely to have some medical bills. Even with health insurance, co-pays and deductibles add up. Every Texas auto policy has $2,500 in personal injury protection coverage. This is “no fault” coverage, meaning you don’t have to prove someone else caused a wreck to obtain it. Like uninsured motorist coverage, however, some people waive this coverage in an effort to lower their premium. Don’t do that. If anything, obtain more than $2,500, as even relatively minor injuries can result in thousands in medical bills. Claims and lawsuits can take months or even years. This coverage will ensure you are reimbursed for your out-of-pocket medical expenses early on. It can also provide reimbursement for some lost wages.
Medical Payment Coverage
This coverage is very similar to personal injury protection—no fault coverage that will pay medical expenses after an accident. But there are significant downsides. First, you will be obligated to repay your insurance company if you end up recovering from the at-fault driver. Second, your health insurance company will likely have a right to come in and take this coverage to reimburse itself for healthcare expenses it has paid. Because of these downsides, rather that obtaining medical payment coverage, it is best to ensure you have adequate personal injury protection coverage.
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