A Seattle Lawyer Explains How Uninsured Drivers Affect You
Auto insurance is compulsory in every single state, except New Hampshire, so it should come as a surprise that an estimated 13.8% of motorists in the U.S. do not have insurance. That number is even higher here in Washington. At about 16%, that means that nearly one out of every six Washington drivers is uninsured.
For every six to seven car accidents in Washington, one of them, on average, was caused by an uninsured driver. This means that the drivers of the other vehicles will have no insurance company to collect from. Ensuring that their own policies include adequate uninsured motorist coverage would be one way for Washington drivers to mitigate this possibility. Nevertheless, in difficult economic times, many motorists will feel that all they need is simple liability insurance as required by Washington State law.
As the economy continues in a downward spiral, the amount of uninsured drivers continues to steadily climb. According to the Insurance Research Council, the rate of uninsured motorists has moved hand in hand with the unemployment rate. Most people that drive without insurance do so because they can’t afford insurance, and many more do it because they have a poor driving record and don’t want to pay the high premiums. But if you are one of those without insurance what would you prefer: paying $1,000 a year for insurance or being hit with a lien of $250,000 because you caused a serious accident and didn’t have the insurance to pay for it?
As a Seattle personal injury attorney I know that car insurance is one of those things that you can’t just decide to not have. Just as you can’t drive down the road without gas in your car, you can’t get behind the wheel without first purchasing insurance, unless of course you live in New Hampshire. Think about who is going to pay for your medical bills and wage loss when you are injured in an accident. Auto insurance is not an optional monthly expense; make sure you are protected, and don’t wait until it is too late.
Want help with getting the best insurance coverage in Washington? Read this free book.
Getting the best coverage for you and your loved ones is cheaper than you think, but the insurance company usually won’t tell you that. Want to find out how to protect your family and assets in the event of an accident? Read The Truth About Buying Washington Auto Insurance by Seattle personal injury attorney Jason Epstein. Jason has been fighting the insurance companies on behalf of accident victims for a decade and now offers his experience to all Washington State residents, free of charge. Order this book on our website.
Jason at premier law group is truly an outstanding individual. Our particular case was not something that their firm usually sees but they were more than willing to help us and give us all of the information they had available. I can't recommend them enough.