| Continued from part 3. | | | | $10,000 property damage liability. |
| Think About it: You Need to Buy Insurance to | | | | StateRequired coverage typesUninsured |
| Protect Yourself, Passengers, and Family | | | | Under-insured Motorist Coverage |
| Members by Purchasing Underinsured Motorist | | | | Required?Minimum liability limitsNo fault? |
| Coverage (part 4 of 4) | | | | Alabamabodily injury and property damage |
| One serious mistake is to decline UIM coverage. | | | | liabilityNo20/40/10no |
| Some companies require that you purchase UIM in | | | | Alaskabodily injury and property damage |
| the same amounts as the liability insurance. | | | | liabilityNo50/100/25no |
| However, many companies, depending upon state | | | | Arizonabodily injury and property damage |
| law, are authorized to sell denominations of UIM | | | | liabilityNo15/30/10no |
| coverage less than the liability limits. The insured | | | | Arkansasbodily injury and property damage |
| thinks that he is providing some satisfactory | | | | liabilityNo25/50/25no |
| minimal coverage for his family and decides to | | | | Californiabodily injury and property damage |
| save some money with lower UIM limits. | | | | liabilityNo15/30/5no |
| However, UIM is probably the most important | | | | Coloradobodily injury and property damage |
| place to spend money. | | | | liabilityNo25/50/15yes |
| You are not as likely to cause an accident, as you | | | | Connecticutbodily injury and property damage |
| are to be a victim of an accident. At least if you | | | | liability, uninsured motoristYes20/40/10no |
| are taking the time to read this article, you are | | | | Delawarebodily injury and property damage |
| probably a person who will exercise more care | | | | liability, personal injury protectionNo15/30/10no |
| and judgment in your driving than the ordinary | | | | DCbodily injury and property damage liability, |
| person. Therefore, it is more likely that you will be | | | | uninsured motoristYes25/50/10yes |
| making a claim against another person for injuries | | | | Florida |
| sustained by you at the hand of the third party | | | | BI liability not required, only property damage |
| tortfeasor. In this instance, the tortfeasor may | | | | liability, personal injury protectionNo10/20/10yes |
| (but likely will not) have sufficient insurance to | | | | Georgiabodily injury and property damage |
| cover you and your passengers for all of your | | | | liabilityNo25/50/25no |
| medical expenses, wages loss, and general | | | | Hawaiibodily injury and property damage liability, |
| damages. If not, then the tortfeasor is said to be | | | | personal injury protectionNo20/40/10yes |
| "underinsured". In that instance, the balance of the | | | | Idahobodily injury and property damage |
| value of your claim, above the bodily injury policy | | | | liabilityNo25/50/15no |
| limits of the tortfeasor, is the responsibility of | | | | Illinoisbodily injury and property damage liability, |
| your own company's UIM coverage. | | | | uninsured motoristYes20/40/15no |
| A third possibility is if the tortfeasor is uninsured. | | | | Indianabodily injury and property damage |
| This is a distinct likelihood if someone who is | | | | liabilityNo25/50/10no |
| reckless, or who has a drinking problem or who is | | | | Iowabodily injury and property damage |
| driving with a suspended license involves you in | | | | liabilityNo20/40/15no |
| their traffic habits. They caused you and your | | | | Kansasbodily injury and property damage liability, |
| passengers harm, but they have no insurance. | | | | personal injury protectionYes25/50/10yes |
| You will be making your entire claim under your | | | | Kentuckybodily injury and property damage |
| UIM polity limits. | | | | liability, personal injury protectionNo25/50/10yes |
| All too often, we have seen serious injuries to | | | | Louisianabodily injury and property damage |
| individuals and their families receive little or partial | | | | liabilityNo10/20/10no |
| compensation because the insured elected to | | | | Mainebodily injury and property damage liability, |
| "save money" by not purchasing the maximum | | | | uninsured motoristYes50/100/25no |
| UIM coverage available to him. Purchase as much | | | | Marylandbodily injury and property damage liability, |
| UIM coverage as you can. | | | | uninsured and underinsured motoristYes20/40 |
| Be Honest | | | | 15no |
| A word of caution in dealing with your insurance | | | | Massachusettsbodily injury and property damage |
| company: don't try to fool them on any of the | | | | liability, personal injury protection, uninsured |
| information requested, or by insuring only one | | | | motoristYes20/40/5yes |
| driver for each of the family vehicles. We have | | | | Michiganbodily injury and property damage liability, |
| numerous cases holding that one family member | | | | personal injury protectionNo20/40/10yes |
| is not covered because he or she was not named | | | | Minnesotabodily injury and property damage |
| as a driver of another family vehicle. Questions of | | | | liability, personal injury protection, uninsured and |
| whether the vehicle was "available for the regular | | | | underinsured motoristYes30/60/10yes |
| use" of any individual are complex issues, and | | | | Mississippibodily injury and property damage |
| history tells that you will lose. Disclose the full | | | | liabilityNo10/20/5no |
| number of drivers and you will have the | | | | Missouribodily injury and property damage liability, |
| knowledge that you and family members are | | | | uninsured motoristYes25/50/10no |
| covered. | | | | Montanabodily injury and property damage |
| The same thing pertains to marital status and | | | | liabilityNo25/50/10no |
| student status of children. Our recommendation is | | | | Nebraskabodily injury and property damage |
| to be honest in your application and in your | | | | liability, uninsured and underinsured motoristNo25 |
| relationship with your company. The few dollars | | | | 50/25no |
| you "save" otherwise will never be a bargain | | | | Nevadabodily injury and property damage |
| should you loose out in the long run. A contract | | | | liabilityNo15/30/10no |
| entered into with materially fraudulent | | | | New Hampshire |
| representations can be voidable by the company | | | | Insurance not required; proof of financial |
| under some circumstances. | | | | responsibility, medical payments, uninsured |
| Table of Insurance Coverage Requirements, by | | | | motoristYes25/50/25no |
| State | | | | New Jerseybodily injury and property damage |
| Most states require that you have liability | | | | liability, personal injury protection, uninsured |
| insurance. This covers you when you're at fault in | | | | motoristNo15/30/5yes |
| an accident. If you live in New Hampshire, South | | | | New Mexicobodily injury and property damage |
| Carolina, Tennessee or Wisconsin, you aren't | | | | liabilityNo25/50/10no |
| required by law (yet) to have liability coverage. | | | | New Yorkbodily injury and property damage |
| For the rest of us, the mandatory coverage | | | | liability, uninsured motorist, personal injury |
| varies according to state. In the chart below, | | | | protectionYes25/50/10yes |
| minimum liability limits are read as follows (in | | | | North Carolinabodily injury and property damage |
| thousands of dollars): bodily injury liability for one | | | | liabilityNo30/60/25no |
| person in an accident/bodily injury liability for all | | | | North Dakotabodily injury and property damage |
| people injured in an accident/property damage | | | | liability, personal injury protection, uninsured and |
| liability for one accident. | | | | underinsured motoristYes25/50/25yes |
| So, for Alabama, the minimum requirements are | | | | Ohiobodily injury and property damage |
| $20,000 of bodily injury liability for one person, | | | | liabilityNo12.5/25/7. |
| $40,000 bodily injury liability for all people and | | | | |