Lewis & Tompkins Blog

Don't skimp on you car insurance

Most people when purchasing automobile insurance, are concerned only with saving money on their premiums.  Most people are buying insurance merely because they have to get insurance to get their tag turn on their vehicle.  Unfortunately, most people do not appreciate the important role that insurance has been protecting them and their an automobile accident.

Car accidents are exactly that, accidents.  No one wants to be involved in a car accident.

Here are some coverages that most people cut in order to save money on their premiums.  The most frequently cut coverages are:

• Personal injury protection.
• Underinsured motorist coverage.
• Collision

Once someone is involved in an accident, they discover the need for having these coverages.  What many people do not realize is that fully 40% of all the vehicles on the road and the District of Columbia have no insurance.  This is surprising to those people, particularly those people who are responsible and carry the required insurance coverages.  When involved in an accident with no insurance, if you don't carry those coverages themselves, people are left with no realistic way to recover for medical expenses. 

Here is an example:

A client came to our office, upset, because their car had been damaged.  The prior client's vehicle had been hit on the street by a vehicle that fled and did not leave any information behind.  The client asked us to help.  Here's the problem:  the client waived their collision coverage!  The adjuster told the client that , "You don't have collision, so we do not have to fix your car."  If only the client had bought collision coverage!

Fret not for our client, however!  We did get their car fixed - but through the client's uninsured motorist coverage (required to be provided in DC).  However, the adjuster did not tell the client (misled - really) that the car could be fixed through uninsured motorist coverages.  Once the client called us, the car was fixed in a week with only a $200.00 deductible.

Good thing they knew Lewis & Tompkins!

Labels: adjuster Allstate GEICO hit and run insurance MAIF Nationwide Personal Injury Protection PIP property damage State Farm uninusured drivers