Accidents are never convenient and dealing with your insurance to get coverage can be a headache. When you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver that headache can turn into a nightmare. In Maryland drivers are required to carry insurance if they have a car, however not everyone always does. Let’s look more closely at what uninsured motorist coverage is, what it covers, and whether or not you should have it.
What is it For?
Uninsured motorist coverage is designed to cover a driver who is involved in an accident that they were not at fault for, with a driver who does not have insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage also covers the driver if the other motorist flees the scene and there is no way to contact them or their insurance company. This particular type of coverage is to protect the driver should their insurance have to pay for the damages to the car.
In a typical accident, the at fault driver’s insurance covers the expenses associated with the accident. In the event that you are involved in an accident with an individual who doesn’t have insurance, doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the cost of repairs, or the driver flees the scene, uninsured motorist coverage can save you headaches and money.
Do you Need this Coverage?
Whether or not you opt to include uninsured motorist coverage to your current insurance policy is a matter of preference. There are some scenarios where it may not make sense to include this in your policy. If your car is very old and worth next to nothing, it probably is not worth increasing your monthly payments with uninsured motorist coverage, since your car will likely be totalled and not worth anything significant. If you have a newer car, or a more expensive car adding this type of add on is a wise decision. You have no way of controlling what car you get in an accident with, and it is not advisable to assume others would abide by the law and have their car insured. Likewise, if you have a very expensive car, the cost of repairs may exceed the other car owner’s liability insurance.
If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage on your current policy, it’s time to seriously consider if you need to add it. If you have any questions about insurance, our team at Freedom Insurance Agency would be happy to go over the options available to you. We are a Eldersburg, MD auto insurance agency devoted to providing our customers with the best experience possible. Give us at Freedom a call today to get started!
