Our Biggest Lawsuit Exposure
If you do a google search of “What to Consider When Purchasing Auto Insurance” it’s shocking how little is discussed about the importance of Liability Limits.
For nearly all of us, vehicle usage is our biggest exposure to facing a lawsuit (especially if you have youthful drivers in the household).
In MO we are required to have the following Auto Insurance Liability Limits:
- Bodily Injury Liability Per Person - $25,000
- If you are in an accident, this is the most your policy will pay for Bodily Injury
- Bodily Injury Per Accident - $50,000
- Like above this is the most your policy will pay if there are multiple people in the other vehicle
- Property Damage - $10,000
- The most the policy will for the Property Damage to others
Nobody wants to have an accident
but they still happen. Many occur while avoiding reckless behavior of other drivers. A very common claim we see, is an insured that swerves into another party attempting to avoid being struck by another driver that recklessly enters their lane.
When this happens (especially on a highway) damage (bodily and property) can be significant. Even when the actual damage to the other vehicle does not look like much, bodily injury damage can still be substantial.
After the accident, often an insured will receive a letter from an Attorney. Back injuries are commonly alleged as well as Vertigo and ringing in the ears caused by Air Bag deployment.
You are responsible for anything that can not be resolved within your limits
The Insured will then receive a letter from the Insurance Company advising that they have accepted liability, but “you are responsible for anything that cannot be resolved within your limits.”
As you can imagine, receipt of this letter can be quite unsettling. An Insurance Adjuster will advise that even a bulging disc in the back that can be treated non-surgically, can still easily reach total payments of $50,000. If surgery is required, anticipated payments will exceed $100,000.
For a driver with MO Minimum limits ($25,000 for Bodily Injury). You will be required to pay any excess over $25,000 from your own resources. If you do not have the assets, anticipate a portion of your monthly wages to be garnished until you have satisfied the settlement.
Protect your Assets and Future Earnings
For drivers with a bodily injury per person limit of $250,000 limit, you likely have no concern - retirement, college savings, and future earnings will be left untouched.
The good news is, for most individuals with good driving records, the cost to increase your coverage is not that significant, (perhaps bringing your lunch 1 or 2 times per month to work instead of eating out) or if you are a family of 4, Firing up the BBQ grill once a month instead of going out to eat.
Contact us today for a free quotation - 636-519-0059 or service@hebbeln-ins.com
Umbrella
For Even Greater Protection, an Umbrella Policy should be strongly considered. For more information about Umbrella - Why a Personal Umbrella
Posted by dan@hebbeln-ins.com