If you are driving a car in the state of Illinois, then you need
to carry insurance on the vehicle. Uninsured motorists can get
insurance at affordable rates if they know where to look. There is
a minimum amount of coverage that the driver needs to have on their
insurance. This amount is not high so that drivers can get
insurance coverage at an affordable rate. However, if a driver
wants to take a risk and let someone else drive their car, they
need to carry uninsured motorist insurance on their policy. The
minimum amount for this coverage is $20,000. This covers the driver
of the car if they were in an accident and were not covered under
an insurance policy.
In the event of a car accident and the driver of your car or the
other car were not covered under their own insurance policy, the
uninsured motorist coverage would protect not only yourself but the
other drivers in the accident. The coverage will pay for any
medical necessities that are incurred during the accident and any
wages that are lost. The coverage will only pay up to the amount
that you have on your insurance policy. Anything over this amount
will be the responsibility of the driver. If the accident was the
fault of the other driver, then their insurance will cover up to
the amount listed on their policy and then your insurance will
cover the remaining amount. An uninsured policy is different than
an underinsured policy. An underinsured driver has insurance, but
they may not have enough coverage to pay for the expenses if the
driver were in an accident. An uninsured motorist has no insurance
at all. The only way that an uninsured motorist can usually drive a
vehicle is if there is a family member who has taken out the
uninsured motorist coverage on their insurance. An uninsured policy
is not expensive to get, but it would be best for the driver to
obtain their own policy as soon as possible.
