Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist insurance for Osage Beach drivers are often misunderstood, and we can understand why. So many drivers who do their due diligence to get the proper insurance expect and anticipate others doing the same. If not, shouldn’t it be the drivers who didn’t get proper insurance and caused a collision who have to pay for the bodily harm they cause? Not always.
What Does Uninsured Motorist Insurance Cover?
Uninsured motorist coverage covers the cost of bodily injury caused by an uninsured motorist. If a driver who does not carry insurance hits you, your insurance will need to kick in to pay for the physical harm they caused to you and/or your passengers.
This type of coverage is important to carry because you cannot assume the other driver will be ready, willing, or able to pick up the high medical expenses associated with an accident. In some cases, uninsured drivers are quick to leave the scene of a collision before you get their information, putting you entirely on the hook for covering all expenses related to a crash.
What Does Underinsured Motorst Insurance Cover?
Underinsured motorist coverage is a little more confusing. This type of coverage protects you in the event that an at-fault driver hits you and does not have high enough liability limits to cover your injuries. The state holds minimum liability limits, but oftentimes, these liability limits alone aren’t enough to cover the high medical expenses that often are incurred after a collision. Underinsured coverage will kick in to pay for the total above and beyond what the other at-fault driver can pay for with their limited coverage.
How Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Works
It’s commonly misunderstood that these coverages pay for any expense related to an auto accident. However, these coverages only cover bodily injury. They do not pay for damages to your vehicle caused by the collision.
Imagine you’re driving down Osage Beach Parkway when a car sideswipes your vehicle. Typically, both drivers would pull over, exchange information, and the at-fault driver’s insurance would pay for your injuries. Although that’s what’s supposed to happen, it doesn’t always work that way.
If a driver does not carry insurance, there’s a good chance they will flee the scene. Or, if they stick around, you’ll still need to pay out of pocket for the injuries incurred.
If a driver does have insurance, but your injuries go above and beyond their liability limits, you’ll be asked to pay for the additional costs.
In either circumstance, having uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance can save you a lot of money in the long run, and a lot of stress as you recover.
How Much Does Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Cost in Osage Beach?
Here’s the good news. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is very affordable. This coverage will not skyrocket your premiums, making it worthwhile to have on your auto insurance policy.
In addition, at McGrath Insurance Group, we also recommend protecting other drivers by increasing your auto insurance liability limits. The more you can do to keep everyone covered and safe on the roads around you, the better. These increased limits will save everyone significant headaches and hassle if you’re ever found at fault for a collision.
Getting Your Auto Insurance Updated
We’re here to help you navigate these important nuances before it’s too late. Call us or submit a proposal request so we can help you better understand what you’re covered for now, and where there are gaps in your policy.
