In the state of Georgia, you are required to carry at least liability coverage with minimum coverage of $25,000 per person for bodily injury. $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. However, some drivers try to avoid getting insurance for various reasons or do not simply have enough coverage. To counteract this, insurance companies offer uninsured motorist coverage or first party coverage. Sometimes this is included in your policy but sometimes it isn’t, so it is best to double check with your agent and insurance documents to make sure. If you happened to get in an accident with an at fault uninsured motorist, what do you do?
What is uninsured motorist (UM) or first party coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage is intended as a substitute when the person at fault in an accident does not have an auto insurance policy or the person at fault doesn’t have enough coverage. When the person at fault does not have insurance, the victim’s own auto policy can be used to cover the damages if there is coverage for uninsured motorists. The policy holder can present their claims to their own insurance company to be compensated for damages.
What to do if you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist?
If in an accident with an uninsured motorist, start with the following items:
- Ensure everyone is ok. If not or you think anyone is injured, call 9-1-1.
- If everyone is okay, call 9-1-1 to report the accident. A police report is in your best interest to have documentation of the accident.
- Acquire the motorist’s information if possible, such as name, address, phone number and tag number.
- Contact your insurance company to start reporting the claim.
Check your policy documents that uninsured motorists are included or contact your agent. We can control what we do when it comes to coverage, but we can’t control others. Make sure you and your family are prepared in case an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist happens.
