It would only take a few seconds of distraction or one bad choice while driving to cause a crash that leads to serious injuries, catastrophic property damage or even death. One person could cause untold hardship for other people if they cause a car crash and don’t have the personal assets to reimburse those affected by the wreck.
Illinois requires that drivers carry liability insurance so that if someone does cause a crash, there is at least a baseline of financial protection in place. Many people only carry the liability coverage required by law and do not invest in additional coverage. However, there are many kinds of extra coverage that you can add to your policy to better protect yourself.
If you haven’t already done so, you might want to consider adding uninsured motorist protection to your policy.
Many drivers don’t have the insurance they should
Although the law does require insurance, you never know if the person who causes a crash will actually be compliant with those laws. As of 2019, the most recent year with data published, more than one in ten Illinois drivers were in violation of insurance requirements at any given time. The Insurance Information Institute estimated 11.8% of Illinois drivers in 2019 were uninsured, and that number may well have increased in the last few years.
If the person who hits you doesn’t have insurance, then you will either need to take them to court or cover those expenses yourself. Uninsured motorist coverage will help you when the driver who should pay for your expenses cannot. Additionally, uninsured motorist protection people will cover your expenses after a hit-and-run crash where you cannot locate the other driver to make an insurance claim.
The best time to change your coverage is before a crash
Many drivers in Illinois don’t think much about what insurance they have. They just purchase what is cheapest or what their agent recommends. Talking about your coverage with an attorney can sometimes be a viable option for those who don’t want the hard sell from their insurance agent but worry they don’t have enough coverage.
If you already experienced a crash caused by a driver without insurance and do not have uninsured motorist protection, then consulting with a lawyer could help by facilitating a civil lawsuit. Learning more about how insurance works after a car crash can help you make better choices about how you protect yourself.