How Much Do You Need Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage in Michigan? In this article, we help you with answering this question.
Accidents happen every day. Nobody can predict when an accident may happen. However, even if you cannot predict when the accident may happen, you may at least prepare for it.
In the article Everything You Need To Know About The Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance in Michigan, we have discussed accidental death and dismemberment insurance in Michigan. Since the release of that article, we have received a lot of calls and queries about the other kinds of insurance that are available in the state of Michigan.
To reiterate, in the United States, accidents are the third leading cause of death. For people between the age of 25 to 44, it is often the cause of death. Of course, this is why it makes sense to have a comprehensive insurance policy that could cover your needs, or your family’s needs when an accident happens.
Here at Haque Legal, it is our goal to make sure that you have the protection you need in times of trouble. We want to answer all of your questions and therefore we have created this article series that would discuss everything you need to know about car insurance coverage in the state of Michigan.
In this part, we will continue the discussion on the third part of the article Everything You Need To Know About Car Insurance Coverage in Michigan: Underinsured Motorist Coverage. Let us continue.
Now that you know about the importance of getting the consent of your insurance company as well as all the other tips that we have accumulated over the years that will answer some of the common questions that people have about underinsured motorist coverage in the state of Michigan.
Do I need this kind of coverage?
Yes, every motor vehicle owner or driver would need Michigan underinsured motorist coverage. We reiterate that without the coverage you are open to losing a lot of money especially if the insurance company or driver at fault will not be able to cover any of the excess expenses relating to the accident.
If I need it, why was it not made mandatory?
The letter of the law provides that there are limits as to the minimum premiums that may be given by the insurance company to their clients depending on the policy that they get. If you are paying for your insurance then you know how much it costs a year just to pay for an insurance policy that you are not even sure if you are going to need.
At the time of need, you are not even sure if the insurance policy that you have based only on the minimum standards set by law will be able to pay for the whole compensation that you need to pay to the people involved in the accident. This is if you are the person who is at fault but what if you are the victim?
If you are the victim of a driver at fault then you would not be able to go after what is beyond the insurance policy of the driver at fault. As we have repeated in this article the state of Michigan does not comply with the doctrine of reasonable expectations that you may see in other states. The state of Michigan respects contractual obligations especially since the parties can fully review the contracts before they even sign them.
Unless you have the time and the willingness to go through the whole court process just to question the contract, we always recommend that you just get extra coverage to prevent further inconveniences coming from an accident that you did not even want to be a part of in the first place.
How much should I get for my policy?
While the limitations for the minimum standards set for your insurance policy are small, we recommend that you get an underinsured motorist coverage of at least $500,000 per person and at least $1,000,000 per accident.
Why do I need to get underinsured motorist coverage when I have health insurance?
Your health insurance is entirely separate and distinct from your underinsured motorist coverage. The Michigan underinsured motorist coverage is not meant to pay for any of your medical bills or your medical treatment. As we have stated and reiterated throughout this whole article series you need the Michigan underinsured motorist coverage to be able to compensate for your pain and suffering and your economic loss and medical bills that are not offered by your primary insurance.
What does this mean? In previous articles, we have already discussed that the state of Michigan is a no-fault state and that there is the existence of coordinated benefits and uncoordinated benefits in the state of Michigan. Here the primary payer of your insurance premiums for your medical bills would always be your health insurance. You are then expected to go to court and file a claim against the driver at fault for the loss for the pain and suffering and for the non-economic damages that you suffered.
The non-economic damages as well as the excess economic loss and medical bills that are not covered by your health insurance or expected to be paid by the insurance provider of the driver at fault.
If the insurance policy of the driver at fault is not enough to pay for all of the damages that you suffered because of the accident that they caused, your underinsured motorist coverage will pay for it and is then a party to go after the driver at fault.
Do I even need this if I have the collision and comprehensive insurance coverage?
In the previous parts of this article series, we have discussed collision and comprehensive insurance coverage. We have said that if you have collision insurance coverage together with comprehensive insurance coverage you should be good to go for any kind of collision or non-collision accident that may happen on your vehicle.
Again, it only covers any kind of damage to your vehicle. The underinsured motorist coverage will cover the pain and suffering compensation as well as the excess Michigan no-fault medical benefits as a result of your car accident that is caused by the underinsured driver. If you have all of these three optional insurance coverages you should have coverage for your motor vehicle as well as coverage for your pain and suffering.
Contact Your Insurance Company
If you have been involved in a car accident in Southfield or the surrounding area, make sure that you are protected. By contacting your insurance company, you will have what you need in terms of their decision and see if they just need a little nudge in the right direction.
If the answer of the insurance company is not positive on your claim, then you need to make sure that you will get going with your complaint.
A lawyer can help you get started with your claim. A Southfield accident lawyer at Haque Legal will see to it that your needs are met from the beginning to the end of the proceedings. You are always in good hands with Haque Legal and what it has to offer.
Disclaimer:
The article that you have read is based on general applications of the law. It is not legal advice and it is not to be construed as any legal consultation with the firm. No client-attorney relationship is created when you read the articles we have provided.
Let us help you out.
If you are having trouble with filing an insurance claim or have been in an auto accident in Michigan, call us immediately. If you have any problem with the law or are seeking justice and truth, our numbers are standing by to take your call.
The post How Much Do You Need Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage in Michigan? appeared first on Haque Legal.