WHY YOU NEED UM INSURANCE
WHY YOU NEED UM INSURANCE
Having the right insurance coverage can make all the difference if you are involved in a collision that is not your fault. State minimum required liability coverage is $25,000 per person with $50,000 maximum payout per incident. This amount is rarely adequate to pay for the severity of injuries that motorcyclists and their passengers often experience when involved in a crash, yet it is what many at-fault drivers carry.
To help provide additional coverage for your injuries should you be hit by an uninsured, or under-insured motorist, make sure that you have Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage or UM coverage added to your motorcycle policy. Be sure that the UM coverage amount is at the same level as the liability coverage limits; $25,000 / $50,000 is the minimum coverage required by law and generally insufficient; $250,000 / $500,000 is what many insurance agents recommend and may be adequate for most people.
Unfortunately, bikers may require more due to the severity of their injuries. Lastly (and equally as important), make sure that your UM coverage is “Added-On” coverage, and not “Reduced” coverage. “Added-on” UM coverage only costs a few dollars more than “Reduced” coverage and makes the full amount of your UM coverage available to compensate you in addition to the at-fault driver’s liability insurance (provided that their level of liability coverage was not enough to compensate you for your injuries). It only takes a few minutes for your insurance agent to either quote you a change or make a change to your motorcycle insurance policy, so give your agent a call today to discuss the adequacy of your coverage.
Remember: Although not required by law, it is important to buy “Added-On” UM coverage at levels equal to your liability policy limits to help provide an avenue of recovery for you and your family should you be injured on your motorcycle at the hands of a negligent driver.
Chuck Watwood
770-650-0016
Bob McNally
LawBike Florida
850-235-3535
