Do I need uninsured motorist insurance?

Off the top of an insurance expert’s head, the answer you would get to this question is a resounding yes. Uninsured motorist insurance is basically insurance coverage which protects you if you get into an accident that is not your fault and more so if the other driver is not insured. This situation would mean that the other driver will not have any coverage to pay for the expenses incurred due to the accident. Expenses may be damage to the car, injury to yourself or to the passengers, and even loss of wages. Uninsured motorist insurance also covers cases of hit and run. In this situation, you may have no choice but to pay for the expenses yourself if you do not have uninsured motorist insurance. The important thing for a hit and run case is that you report it to the police immediately.

Experts in the insurance industry extol the benefits of having uninsured motorist insurance – above and beyond the other possible coverage you may already have. About a dozen states require uninsured motorist insurance so in those cases you have no choice. Yet in those states that do not require uninsured motorist insurance, it may still be a wise decision to consider taking this coverage.

More than being able to protect you while you are in your car, uninsured motorist insurance also extends its benefits even when you are a mere pedestrian. Say you get hit by a vehicle while you are walking on the curb and the driver is either uninsured or makes a get away. Your medical bills can be covered by your uninsured motorist insurance. More than that, you can also be compensated for any wages you may lose due to the accident.

All those virtues of uninsured motorist insurance having been laid out, it is but prudent to look at the other end of the spectrum. It is true that uninsured motorist insurance is useful. Yet you have to consider all the other benefits that you have from your insurance policy. It may be that your health insurance policy covers medical bills for you and your family in case of an accident. You may also have medical payments insurance or personal injury protection coverage already. These things would overlap with uninsured motorist insurance and the fact is, you cannot collect from all policies for the same expenses. So before you take out an uninsured motorist insurance policy, check your other policies first and see if it is worth the additional expense.