Now that it is 2019, it is a good time to review your insurance coverages for renewal. Although all insurance coverages and costs change from year to year, these changes can be most noticeable with your auto insurance. There can be many questions in terms of having the best insurance for your own protection. Unfortunately, many drivers do nothing to review or change their coverage amounts, or even shop around for the best insurance coverage bang for your buck. At O’Brien Law, we are most concerned that our clients have good coverage that protects them if they are in a crash.
Make Sure You Have the Right Coverage with the Right Company
How much car insurance a person needs can be tricky to gauge. If your car is older and has low value, getting collision insurance may be a waste of your money. If you have a relationship with your agent, or enjoy the non-monetary perks of your current company, those are valid reasons to stay. Even so, you can still adjust how much coverage you have. Agents are usually good at steering you toward the right coverages, but if you went through an exclusively online service, you may have just selected whatever they recommended. Most importantly, you may not have enough coverage. If you know a personal injury attorney or if you want to call our office with any questions, find out what the best coverage for your own protection may be in the worst circumstance.
Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage
The liability limits you purchase for bodily injuries are typically the same amounts you are limited to if you need uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Trust us, this is important. We have represented a number of seriously injured clients who needed to make claims against their own companies for uninsured or underinsured coverage. The minimum limits in Illinois for bodily injury liability are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per occurrence. If your limits are $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, and you are seriously injured, you can pursue a claim with your own insurance company up to these limits if you are injured by a driver with no insurance or with minimal insurance. Remember, the insurance you purchase for yourself and your family could be the insurance you need following a serious auto accident.
Medical Payment Coverage
Many of our clients have never been told how their medical payment coverage works. It pays your medical bills without regard to fault if you are in an auto accident. In Illinois, your medical payment coverage is typically primary and your health insurance is secondary for crash-related medical bills. Insurance companies typically recommend just $5,000 or $10,000 of medical payment coverage, without explaining just how inexpensive it could be to upgrade to $25,000 or $50,000 of medical payment coverage. With the cost of health care today, it can be hard to even get out of the ER after a crash for less than $5,000. Do yourself a favor and look into the costs and options for increasing your medical payment coverage in 2019. You may be surprised to learn how inexpensive this important upgrade could be.
At O’Brien Law, we do not recommend specific insurance companies, but we know how different companies handle claims. As stated before, we suggest that you do whatever you can to protect yourself and your family fully without ignoring worst-case scenarios. Your good health may depend on it. In the meantime, if you have unfortunately been the victim of an auto accident, please give us a call and we will be more than happy to help you out and answer your questions. Call today for your free consultation and stay safe in 2019! And please be adequately insured!
