Most motor vehicle collisions only cause property damage, and sometimes that damage is merely cosmetic. However, more serious collisions will lead to people suffering injuries. Crash-related medical issues can cost tens of thousands of dollars in hospital care and may also lead to weeks of lost income if someone cannot go to work during their recovery period.
You have potentially had a car insurance policy since you turned 16 and first got your license, and your good driving record might mean that you have never made a claim before. Although you likely assume that insurance will cover your medical care, many people wind up paying some of their own bills after a car crash.
Are you at risk for unpaid medical expenses and lost wages after a wreck?
Liability coverage will only go so far
All Kentucky drivers have to carry liability protection so that anyone they hurt has coverage. In a crash where another driver hurts you, you have to make a claim against their policy first. State law mandates at least $25,000 worth of property damage coverage to help you fix your vehicle.
Every driver also has to carry bodily injury protection, and the amount of coverage available depends based on the number of people hurt. If you are the only injured party, then a bare minimum policy will give you $25,000 worth of coverage for medical costs and lost wages. The same policy would cover up to $50,000 worth of injury-related losses for all parties hurt in a crash.
Obviously, when more people get hurt and when the injuries are severe, that low level of coverage could leave major, unpaid bills.
How do you protect yourself from bad insurance?
You never know what kind of policy a driver has until you go over their coverage information. You can’t control what coverage the other driver has, but you can add more coverage to your own policy before a crash for your own protection.
Underinsured motorist protection and collision coverage can kick in to help cover your costs if you get hurt in a crash and the other driver doesn’t have enough coverage. If your injuries are quite serious, a personal injury lawsuit may also be an option. Provided that you can show that misconduct or negligence from the other driver caused your injuries, you could hold them accountable for the financial impact of the crash in civil court.
Learning more about how car insurance works in Kentucky will help you better protect yourself after a motor vehicle collision.