AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE: DO YOU REALLY HAVE FULL COVERAGE?

We all know that we need automobile insurance. However, most people do not put much time in deciding what types of liability insurance they need and what limits to purchase.

Bodily injury liability coverage (BI) and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage are not required by law. Therefore, most people believe they have “full coverage” when

in reality they do not.

There are several different coverages that are contained within your automobile insurance policy. Coverage such as bodily injury liability protects you, the insured, from claims filed against you while coverage such as uninsured/underinsured motorist protects you from damages you sustain due to the negligence of others.

Bodily injury liability coverage is designed to protect the insured from claims where the

insured is at fault in an accident and causes damages/injuries to others. This coverage

can be purchased in several different increments, for example $25,000/$50,000/$25,000

or $100,000/$300,000/$50,000.

The first number represents how much the insurance company will pay per person

injured in an accident and the second number represents how much the insurance

company will pay for all people injured in an accident. The third number represents how

much the insurance company will pay for property damage caused by the insured to

others.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be purchased in the same limits as your

bodily injury liability coverage. UM coverage protects you, the insured, from injuries

and medical expenses caused by the negligence of others who do not have sufficient

liability coverage. In order to collect uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits the

insured has to demonstrate that the other driver was at fault for the accident and caused

the injuries.

The insurance company has an adversarial relationship with its insured in this type of

insurance, therefore it is often beneficial for the insured to retain an attorney to represent

his or her interests. A large percentage of drivers do not carry bodily injury liability

insurance or sufficient liability limits and therefore, uninsured/underinsured motorist

coverage is a very important coverage to purchase in order to protect your own assets and

well being.

Oftentimes, someone is injured in an automobile accident and is in need of insurance

coverage to protect them from injuries and damages sustained in the accident. If there is

no coverage or insufficient coverage, the injured person can go uncompensated for

serious injuries, medical expenses and lost wages. If the at fault party does not have

insurance or has limits that are too low they can be faced with a personal liability

exposure. This means that their personal assets may be at risk to compensate the injured

victim. Therefore, it is beneficial to purchase as much BI and UM coverage as you can

afford and an amount which is consistent with your assets and earning ability. You do

not want to be liable for a claim against you that exceeds the amount of insurance you

purchased. You could be putting your personal assets at risk. Likewise, you do not want

to incur medical bills and lost wages due to the negligence of another who does not have

BI coverage sufficient to compensate you. Either scenario can lead to financial hardship.

In conclusion, do not leave yourself unprotected in the event you sustain serious injuries,

medical expenses and lost wages. Furthermore, do not go unprotected for injuries or

damages you may cause to others. Consult an attorney or insurance agent and obtain an

insurance assessment before you are faced with either scenario.

Be Prepared for Hurricane Season

Be Prepared for Hurricane Season. Document Your Property.

When most people think of hurricane preparedness, they think about storm shutters, bottled water, and a generator. Most do not think about documenting their property and belongings. With hurricane season here, you need to consider what would happen if your home and belongings are damaged by the storm. What if you have to prove damage? What you have to hire and attorney? Here are a few tips for preparing for hurricane season.

1. Before hurricane season begins, review your policy to make sure you are properly

insured and understand your coverage.

2. If you have any questions or don’t understand your policy, make an appointment

with your agent to go over it.

3. Once the hurricane is headed our way, insurers will not make changes to your

policy.

4. Be prepared to document a claim before it occurs.

5. Take still pictures or videos of your house and personal belongings to insure there is no doubt as to what you owned before the storm.

6. Gather receipts for expensive items you may have purchased.

7. For those without a receipt, create an inventory: make, model, year of purchase and cost.

8. Save information in a safe place where it cannot be destroyed.

9. Consider an electronic copy of these documents or sending a copy to a friend or family member out of state.

10. If you can’t get your claim paid in a timely manner or your claim is denied, hire an attorney.

Your Legal Rights In a Dog Attack

If you are a dog owner or if you have been bitten by a dog, you should know the legal ramifications of a dog bite or attack. Dog owners are 100% liable if their dog bites or attacks another person and injures them. Also, the person attacked usually has the right to total compensation for the injury. Of course, the exceptions are if the person bitten was trespassing or provoking the dog.

What you need to know as a home owner, is that if you have a dangerous or vicious dog, you are under 100% responsibility to make sure your dog does not bite anyone. You are responsible to keep your dog confined indoors or within a secure fence and you should keep the dog muzzled and on leash when walking the dog. If the dog bites or injures someone, you are then 100% liable to pay for the dog bite injury. Your homeowner's insurance policy will usually cover dog attacks as long as you inform your insurance company that you own a dog and the type of dog breed you have. If you are a renter and you have dog, it is important to get renter's insurance that will cover you if your dog bites or injures a person. Otherwise you could be sued directly if your dog bites someone.

If you are bitten by a dog, of course the first thing to consider is medical attention. Dog bites are highly toxic, and likely to become infected. Get medical help right away by going to the hospital emergency room or calling an ambulance if your injuries warrant that. Because the dog owner is liable, be sure to get photos of your injuries for documentation. Next, call an attorney to help you handle your case. Usually the dog owner's home owner's insurance or renter's insurance will cover your medical costs.