Auto Insurance: Which Insurance Covers The Accident?

Jarrett & Price, AttorneysLiability insurance is a complex area of law that will decide how much money you can recover for your damages in most cases. One of the most important tasks for the attorney in an accident case is to find all available sources of potential insurance. There are several types of insurance at play in many accident claims, and sometimes the coverage can come from a variety of individuals and sources. The following is a brief explanation of a few of the most common types of coverage in Georgia.

Liability Insurance:  Put simply, this is the insurance that covers the at-fault party. In auto accident cases, Georgia requires every automobile to be insured with a minimum coverage of $25,000 per person, and $50,000 per accident. This insurance can be carried by the driver, or the automobile the at-fault party was driving if they are not the same.

To recover, you must be able to prove that the other party was at fault, or mostly at-fault for the accident.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM):  While it is not a requirement in Georgia, many automobiles and drivers are covered by Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage, known as “UM.” This type of auto insurance is purchased by you to cover your damages if your are injured by an uninsured driver, or a driver who does not carry enough insurance to cover your total damages.

When making a claim against your own UM policy, the policy covers the liability of the at-fault driver and actually works like the at-fault driver’s insurance.

Currently, two different types of UM policies may be written in Georgia, 1) traditional (a.k.a. “set off”) UM, and 2) excess (a.k.a “add on”) UM. Depending on which one you purchased, this can make a dramatic impact on how much total insurance is available to cover your accident. For an explanation of why this is so important, click here.  Multiple sources of UM may also be available in your accident. For more information regarding UM coverage, visit our Uninsured Motorist page.

Med Pay:  Many Georgia insurance policies are written to include coverage for medical payments or “med pay” coverage. The key benefits of med pay coverage are that it does not require a finding of fault, and is usually available to cover your medical bills in a matter of days or weeks.

Umbrella Policies:  This is the common name for policies written to include multiple assets of the insured. This usually applies to persons with a home and multiple automobiles which are all covered by the same policy.

The nuances of insurance law is one of the most complicated areas of any personal injury claim. It is vital to have an experienced personal injury attorney familiar with how and when these different coverages may apply to your accident before you settle any portion of your case. If you have been injured in an accident anywhere in Georgia, contact the Georgia Injury Attorneys at Jarrett & Price, LLC for a free consultation at (912) 401-8880 – (912) 401-8880 and we WILL return your call. Our personal injury attorneys serve the entire state, with offices in Clarkesville, Georgia; Cleveland, Georgia and Savannah, Georgia.