Whether your accident occurred in Collinsville, Madison County, or any other place in Illinois, it is not the worst thing to happen for your claim if the driver at fault has little or no auto insurance. Assuming you have auto insurance coverage on your car, you need two other things:
1. Accept in your own mind that your own insurance company is going to pay on a claim that was caused by someone else.
2. Hope you have enough uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to cover all of your damages.
- Many people are distressed that even when they are involved in an accident that is not their fault because their own insurance company has to front money to get their car fixed, pay for the loaner car, or get their medical bills paid. Have no fear; your multi-billion dollar insurance company will survive paying on your claim.
- Why? Because you have been paying premiums, along with hundreds of thousands of other insureds, on a monthly basis in an amount that has been determined by your insurance company to more than adequately cover yours and any others claims they may have to pay on. In the meantime, your insurance company has been investing all of those premiums paid by you and people like you so that instead of merely being a multi-million dollar company, your insurance company may very well be a multi-billion dollar company.
- Most states may also require you to have the minimum amount of UM/UIM of about $20,000 for each person and $40,000 per each accident. UM/UIM policy coverages are also typically written as $50,000 or $100,000 per person/per accident. On occasion, some UM/UIM policies will get up in the $250,000 range.
- UM/UIM coverage means that if the driver at fault does not have insurance, or does not have enough insurance, to cover your damages, then your UM/UIM policy will kick in and make up the difference. As always, there is a limit to how much your company is willing to pay under your UM/UIM policy and it may be considerably less than what you think.
To get more information after you or a family member has been hurt in an accident in Illinois, fill out the form on this website and get your FREE "Illinois Guide Book to Auto Accidents and Injuries" and the "Illinois Guide Book to Semi Truck Accidents." Or better yet, for more direct answers call the Giacoletto Law Firm at 618-346-8841 or toll free at 888-346-8841 to speak today with an experienced Madison or St. Clair County accident attorney centrally located in Collinsville.