It is important to know the type of car insurance is required in Georgia and the type of car insurance you should have. In this article we will explain what’s required but also give you tips of what type of additional coverage you should have to better maximize your personal injury claim.
Required Insurance- Liability
Liability insurance is the only type of insurance that is statutorily required in Georgia. Liability insurance in lay terms is insurance that protects the other person in a collision that is your fault.
Example, if you ran into the rear of someones car, in Georgia you would be required to maintain valid insurance to protect their persons and their vehicle. The minimum liability amount that you must have in Georgia is $25,000. If you do not have liability insurance, you would be in violation of Georgia Law.
Now let’s reverse the previous example, if someone hit you in the rear, they would be required to maintain liability insurance in the amount of $25,000 to protect you and your vehicle. Again, If they do not have liability insurance they would be in violation of Georgia Law. This is all that is required in Georgia.
Suggested Insurance – Uninsured/ Underinsured Coverage
Believe it or not, many of people traveling on these roads do not have the required insurance and negligently get into accidents. If someone hits you and they do not have any insurance than usually you are SOL. Unless you are smart and have uninsured motorist insurance.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance (UM) is the insurance that you pay for with your own car insurance company and it covers you if you are hit by someone without insurance. It’s important to inform our future clients that by using this insurance your insurance rates do not increase and you are not penalized.
This is because the only way you can use Uninsured Motorist insurance is 1.) You pay additional for it and 2.) You are not at fault in the collision. So since there is no penalty for using it and actually OCGA 33-9-40 prohibits insurance companies from penalizing for using your Uninsured Motorist Coverage.
Underinsured Motorist Insurance (UIM) works the exact same way in principal and the two terms are usually used interchangeably. This means you don’t have to buy two separate insurance coverages, they both work the same way. The only difference is that underinsured motorist coverage kicks in when the person that injured you does not have enough insurance coverage for your injuries.
For example, you are read ended and your medical bills total up to $100,000. However, the person that injured you only has the required $25,000 insurance coverage. Of course, this is not enough money to cover all your damages. In cases like this you would tap into your Underinsured Motorist coverage for the difference. Again, there is no penalty in using your Underinsured Motorist coverage either.
There are a couple of nuisances and caveats to understanding how to maximize your insurance company. Contact our law firm njohnsonlaw.com or (404) 358-4392 if you have been injured in an accident and need to get your money. We help injured victims get the most from the insurance companies!