As an attorney who focuses a large amount of his practice on automobile accident cases, one disturbing trend I have observed is how many people do not have uninsured motorist coverage.

The law in Alabama requires all drivers to have liability insurance, which pays for losses covered by that driver's negligence. However, studies show that 25% of drivers in Alabama do not have liability insurance. Think about that for a second. If you are in an accident that is someone else's fault, there is more than a 25% chance that you will not be compensated for your losses.

Notice that I said "more than a 25% chance." The reason why this figure is actually higher than 25% is because uninsured coverage includes underinsured coverage. Underinsured coverage picks up the tab when the liability insurance of the driver at fault is not enough to cover your losses.

Consider what often happens when a driver is injured in an accident. First he or she needs to undergo medical treatment. Depending upon how serious the injuries are, this treatment can become quite expensive and last for months or even years. Not only is the injured person running up medical bills, but if he or she is injured, the person might not be able to work. Ask yourself what would happen to your finances if you could not work for four months. For many people, lost wages creates an impossible financial situation.

As a result of the massive financial loss that can accompany a car accident, I encourage my clients to make sure that they have sufficient uninsured motorist coverage. While the minimum coverage that can be sold in Alabama is $20,000 per person and $40,000 per incident, I recommend having at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident, and possibly even higher. One point I have discovered is that uninsured motorist coverage is very inexpensive, and you can typically obtain the $50,000 / $100,000 coverage for less than $100 per vehicle, per year. I even have one client who has an uninsured motorist policy of $1,000,000. While this is certainly unusual, it's something to think about when deciding how much coverage is right for you.

Making sure that you have enough uninsured motorist coverage is a crucial step in protecting your financial well-being in the event that you are an innocent party in a car wreck.

Protect yourself today.  Contact the attorneys at Jaffe and Erdberg for an experienced attorney who can help you evaluate your uninsured motorist coverage needs.