A high percentage of vehicles driven on the roadways of the State of Washington are uninsured or underinsured.
What this means is that if you are a responsible Washington insured motorist, with liability and collision coverage, there are holes in your insurance coverage unless you include underinsured motorist cover (UM) as part of your policy. Without UM coverage, if you, a family member, friend or loved one is in a serious motor vehicle collision with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you likely will recover little, if any, full reimbursement of your medical bills, wage loss, economic loss and recover pain and suffering or other general damages.
With the summer season of heavy highway driving upon us, it is extremely important to get a check up of your insurance coverage and determine if you have adequate policy limits. The strongest advice anyone can give is for you to call your agent to confirm you have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UIM).
Your Washington State casualty insurance statute, RCW 48.22.030 (1), requires all insurers, which do business in the State of Washington, to offer you coverage for UM/UIM and PIP coverage. All insurers are mandated by Washington laws to provide this coverage to you unless you affirmatively reject both PIP and UM/UIM coverage in writing. PIP and UIM coverage are some of the cheapest ways you can protect yourself, your family and loved ones against the financially irresponsible and negligent underinsured or uninsured motorist in Washington.
In over thirty (30) years of experience as a personal injury lawyer in Washington, nearly twenty-thirty percent (20% – 30%) of the motorists on our state’s highways are either uninsured or underinsured. If you are in a collision, either as a motorist, pedestrian, jogger, cyclist, motorcyclist or in some other manner, the chances are very high that you will be injured by someone who is underinsured. UM/UIM coverage is simply solution to guard against this risk.
PIP coverage is another very inexpensive way to insure full health care coverage in the event of a collision. Premiums are relatively cheap. If you have PIP coverage included in your automobile policy, PIP insurance is like traditional old time insurance. PIP allows you to select any doctor or health care provider you wish to see without the administrative entanglements of a health care gate keeper as you would encounter in any managed care, PPO or related health care system.
After you read this article, call your insurance agent to make sure you have PIP and UIM coverages.
Rob Kornfeld of Kornfeld, Trudell, Bowen & Lingenbrink, PLLC has been handling insurance claims and motor vehicle collisions in Washington for over 30 years. Kornfeldlaw.com or email Rob at Rob@Kornfeldlaw.com for quick answers to your questions. (800) 282-4878 .
