According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 14 percent of motorists nationwide drive without liability insurance. In Wisconsin, about 15.1 percent of drivers lack insurance, ranking 19th in the U.S. for uninsured motorists. Wisconsin drivers can protect themselves if they get into an accident with an uninsured driver by purchasing uninsured motorist coverage from their insurance provider.
Understanding Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage protects a driver or their passengers if they get injured in a car accident caused by another motorist who doesn’t have bodily injury liability coverage. With uninsured motorist coverage, your car insurance company steps in for the insurance that an at-fault driver should have carried.
Wisconsin’s Requirements for Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Wisconsin law requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident of uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury. Drivers can purchase additional coverage if they wish. However, uninsured motorist coverage in Wisconsin does not cover property damage to a policyholder’s vehicle.
How Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Work?
In Wisconsin, uninsured motorist coverage will pay for any losses you incur due to car accident injuries that the at-fault driver bears liability to compensate you for, such as medical bills, pain and suffering, and ongoing or future income losses. However, your insurer will only pay for losses up to the uninsured motorist coverage policy limit you purchased. After you exhaust your policy limit, your insurer will stop paying for your injury-related losses.
When Would You Use Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
You can turn to your car insurance provider for uninsured motorist coverage in two scenarios. First, you might file an uninsured motorist claim if you get injured in an accident caused by a driver who does not have bodily injury liability insurance. Second, you might use uninsured motorist coverage after an accident where the at-fault driver flees the scene without exchanging information, and you cannot identify or locate the driver later. Insurance companies treat unidentified hit-and-run drivers as uninsured motorists, regardless of whether the driver has insurance, which entitles you to file an uninsured motorist coverage claim.
Benefits of Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Having uninsured motorist coverage can provide several benefits. Drivers should consider purchasing the highest amount of coverage they can afford to maximize these benefits. Uninsured motorist coverage can provide financial protection to drivers and their passengers if they get into an accident with a motorist who does not have insurance by allowing them to turn to their own insurance provider for compensation. This financial protection can also give drivers peace of mind, knowing they can obtain compensation for their injury expenses or losses. Finally, many insurance companies will offer to bundle underinsured motorist coverage with uninsured motorist coverage for a low extra cost, allowing drivers to access insurance coverage if they incur substantial financial expenses after an accident caused by a driver who has purchased minimal liability coverage.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney Today
If you suffered injuries in a car accident caused by an uninsured driver, get the legal help you need to navigate your options for obtaining financial recovery. Contact Atterbury, Kammer & Haag, S.C. today for a free consultation to discuss how our attorneys can assist you with pursuing compensation through an uninsured motorist coverage claim.