The state of Georgia requires motor vehicle owners and lessees to maintain continuous mandatory liability insurance coverage in order to drive on Georgia roads or highways. However, many motorists choose to purchase the lowest amount of coverage permitted by law. Underinsured and uninsured drivers are typically unable to cover the cost of a serious accident.
According to the Insurance Research Council, 14 percent of U.S. motorists are uninsured. If you have purchased uninsured motorist insurance and you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, you can obtain compensation from your own insurance company. Uninsured motorist insurance protects you, covered passengers, and covered family members for injuries resulting from an auto accident that is caused by an uninsured driver. Depending on your coverage, you may also be entitled to compensation for damage to your vehicle.
An underinsured motorist is generally a driver who has opted to purchase only the minimum coverage amounts required by law. Georgia state law requires minimum bodily injury liability insurance coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and minimum property damage liability insurance coverage of $25,000 per accident. However, these minimum amounts may not cover the costs that result from a significant accident. If the person who caused the car, truck, or motorcycle accident has insufficient liability insurance, you can make an additional claim against your own insurance company to recover the difference. This is particularly important because the average driver carries more than the minimum limits identified above and you are entitled to claim the difference between the insurance you purchased and the minimum limits of the underinsured driver.
Georgia does not require drivers to purchase underinsured/uninsured motorist insurance. However, it is a wise decision to purchase this coverage because if you are involved in an auto accident in which the at-fault driver is underinsured or has no insurance at all, you may be able to pursue a claim with your own insurance company if you have purchased uninsured motorist insurance. However, if you are involved in an auto accident with an uninsured driver and you do not have uninsured motorist coverage, your options may be limited.
We recommend drivers purchase underinsured/uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance with limits of at least 100,000 per person, 300,000 per accident. Raising your underinsured/uninsured motorist policy limits to these levels provides a substantial increase in protection against the uncertainties one faces everyday on the roadways of Georgia for a minimal increase in premiums.
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