Georgia law requires car insurance, which can make vehicle ownership prohibitively expensive for some people. The state has to balance the need to protect people from the cost of a crash with keeping individually-owned transportation reasonably affordable for the working class.
Mandatory liability coverage goes a long way toward reducing the risk involved in collisions, but it has its limits. While mandatory insurance is better than nothing, there is a very obvious and concerning problem with making those affected by a crash dependent on the coverage carried by the other driver.
Irresponsible drivers are often irresponsible people
Individuals who text at the wheel or make other negligent driving decisions may be more likely than members of the general public to make negligent decisions in other aspects of their lives. For example, they might carry the lowest amount of car insurance required by state law, or they might even stop sending in their monthly payments, allowing their policy to lapse.
Not only could you potentially get hurt by someone who has no insurance at all, but you could also end up injured by a driver whose coverage won’t even pay for your hospital bills, let alone years’ worth of lost or diminished wages.
How can you protect yourself?
The simplest way to protect yourself involves taking a step before you get into a car crash. Uninsured motorist protection added to your own policy usually won’t increase your premiums very much, but it can drastically expand the coverage you have in the event of a crash. Underinsured motorist protection is equally important, as it can help cover more of your costs if you suffer a catastrophic injury in a collision.
Not everyone will understand the shortcomings of their own insurance until after a collision occurs. If you get hurt and do not have enough coverage on your own policy to make up for the bad coverage of the other driver, then you may need to make use of Georgia personal injury laws.
The state allows you to file a civil lawsuit against someone who hurts you or causes substantial property damage costs. While it may take a while to finally resolve a personal injury claim, holding a bad driver accountable for the costs they created is typically a worthwhile pursuit for those hurt in collisions.
Understanding your rights and protections following a motor vehicle collision will help you minimize the damage a collision causes for you and your family.
