MANY DRIVERS OPERATE VEHICLES WITHOUT ENOUGH INSURANCE
We are sometimes contacted by individuals who are involved in a car accident that has been caused by the fault of another. They learn, very early on in the process, that the other driver does not have enough insurance on their vehicle and they are left to wonder what they can do to recover additional money damages for their injuries.
CT’S MINIMUM MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE LIMITS
Every motor vehicle that is registered in the State of Connecticut is required to carry insurance of at least 25/50 liability coverage. This means that the most any one person can collect in the accident is $25,000 and the most that all of the parties involved in the accident can collect is $50,000. Many people will register their motor vehicles and obtain the minimum limits of liability. So what can you do if the other driver does not have insurance?
BUY INSURANCE FOR ALL OTHER DRIVERS WITH UM/UIM
Every motor vehicle that is registered in the State of Connecticut is also required to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist protection. If you are involved in an accident, that has been caused by the fault of another, and the other motor vehicle does not have enough insurance you may be able to access your underinsured motorist coverage.
HOW MUCH UM/UIM YOU SHOULD PURCHASE
You should always look to purchase at least $250,000 worth of UM/UIM coverage and you should also elect conversion coverage and not standard coverage. If you are injured in an accident and the other driver has $25,000 worth of insurance and your case is worth $275,000 and you have $250,000 worth of UIM coverage in a standard situation you would get the $25,000 from the at-fault party’s carrier and then that amount of money would be deducted from your $250,000 worth of coverage leaving you with $250,000 worth of total available coverage. If you had conversion coverage then your insurance company would not get a deduction for the money paid by the other carrier so you could get the $25,000 from the at-fault party’s carrier and an additional $250,000 from your carrier which would fully compensate you for your injuries and damages.
A CT INJURY LAWYER NEEDS TO RESEARCH YOUR CASE
There are also other situations where you might have insurance coverage available to you if you live with certain family members who own motor vehicles at the time you are involved in your accident. These situations need to be investigated by an experienced Connecticut motor vehicle accident lawyer so it is important that you consult with a Connecticut personal injury attorney at the earliest possible moment.