no UIM & PIP Insurance--image of vehicle damaged in a collision

UIM & PIP Insurance: Auto Insurance In Washington State

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UIM & PIP insurance are must have coverages to protect yourself and your family while driving in Washington State.  Clients, who have been in an auto collision, often tell me they have “full coverage” when it turns out they just have the minimum required by the State of Washington. (Purchase more than the minimum if you can). That minimum is bodily injury liability limits of $25,000.00 per person/$50,000.00 per accident. This means that they only have protection if they are fault or another person that had permission to drive their vehicle is at fault for an accident. Their insurance will pay up to $25,000.00 for the injuries of a person that they injure and up to $50,000.00 in total for injuries to other persons that they injure. This coverage will do nothing to help them if the other driver is at fault and does not have insurance.

Uninsured Drivers

Unfortunately, in Washington State approximately 16.1 percent of people drive with no insurance.[1] This means that if you are involved in an accident with one of them and only have the State’s minimum coverage then you most likely will have to pay for the damage to your vehicle as well as your own medical bills. You will also not receive anything for all the pain and suffering you or your family members suffers. Many potential clients come to see me who were not at fault in an auto accident and who were seriously injured.   The other driver did not have insurance and the potential clients only had the minimum insurance and no medical insurance. I could not help them, as most uninsured/underinsured drives do not have any assets to justify a lawsuit against them. However, you can protect yourself in this situation by buying UIM and PIP insurance coverages.

Uninsured / Underinsured (UIM) Insurance Coverage

Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) is a type of auto insurance that will cover you, members of your household, and other people riding in the vehicle against injuries and other damages caused by a person with no insurance or not enough insurance. The coverage will be up to the amount of the UIM coverage you buy. UIM insurance can pay for the damage to your vehicle, medical expenses and pain and suffering you suffer through no fault of your own. This is obviously very important and all drivers should buy this to protect themselves and their loved ones. Insurance companies, under Washington law, must offered you this type of coverage when you buy auto insurance.  Do not reject this coverage when it is offered to you.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage will pay for medical expenses and wage loss for you and others in your vehicle, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. You can pay your medical providers as you receive treatment.  They will not have to wait to be paid until the case is over. Many medical providers will not provide treatment if you do not have this type of insurance or medical insurance. Usually the amount of PIP coverage offered will be a minimum of $10,000.00 to $35,000.00 per person. I recommend that you purchase the $35,000.00 especially if you do not have medical insurance. There is no deductible or per visit out-of-pocket payment. So even if you have medical insurance you should purchase PIP coverage.

There are other auto insurance coverages available that I will write about in another information sheet. But the most important in my opinion are Liability, UIM and PIP. Make sure you purchase them in the highest amounts you can afford, as there are many drivers out there with no insurance.

[1] (1) Percentage of uninsured drivers, as measured by the ratio of uninsured motorists (UM) claims to bodily injury (BI) claim frequencies.

Source: Insurance Research Council.

 

no UIM & PIP Insurance--image of vehicle damaged in a collision

UIM & PIP: NOTAS SOBRE SEGURO DE AUTOS EN EL ESTADO DE WASHINGTON

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Frecuentemente clientes míos que han estado en accidentes de carros me dicen que tenían “cobertura completa” cuando en realidad sólo tenían lo mínimo que exige la ley de Washington que es protección contra responsabilidad por daños a terceros con límites de $25,000 por persona lastimada pero nunca más de $50,000 por accidente. (si puede, debe comprar límites más altos que el mínimo obligatorio). Eso significa que solamente tenían protección si ellos o alguna persona manejando el coche con permiso de su dueño tuvieran la culpa por un choque. La aseguradora, en tal caso, pagaría a nombre suyo hasta $25,000 a la persona lastimada pero con un límite por accidente de $50,000 en total si hubiera varios damnificados. Esta cobertura no le pagaría absolutamente nada a usted o a sus pasajeros si el otro chofer haya sido el culpable y no tenía seguro de auto.

Desgraciadamente, en el estado de Washington aproximadamente más del 16% de las personas manejan sin seguro de coche. Esto significa que si usted chocara con uno de ellos, teniendo solamente el seguro mínimo que requiere el estado, usted terminaría pagando por los daños a su auto y por sus propios gastos médicos. Tampoco ni usted ni su familia recibirían nada de compensación por el dolor y sufrimiento causado por el choque. Yo he tenido muchos clientes potenciales que no fueron culpables por sus accidentes y habían sufrido lesiones graves. Pero el otro conductor tuvo la culpa y mis posibles clientes sólo tenían la cobertura mínima que manda el estado y no tenían seguro médico. Yo no pude ayudarles pues quienes manejan sin seguro rara vez tienen capital u otros recursos que justifiquen una acción legal. Sin embargo, usted puede protegerse de esa situación comprando las coberturas llamadas, por su nombre en inglés, UIM y PIP.

UIM le protege contra daños causados por un motorista sin seguro o con un seguro insuficiente. UIM lo cubre a usted, a familiares que residan con usted, y a sus pasajeros, pagando, hasta el límite que usted haya comprado, por daños a su vehículo, gastos médicos, dolor y sufrimiento causados por un choque por el cual usted no fue responsable. Este seguro es sumamente importante para la protección suya y la de sus seres queridos. Según la ley de Washington esa protección se la tienen que ofrecer, ¡no la rechace!

PIP es protección por lastimaduras personales que pagará por sus gastos médicos, salarios perdidos y los de sus pasajeros no importa quien haya tenido la culpa por el choque. PIP paga a sus proveedores de cuidado médico cuando usted recibe el tratamiento y por tanto no tienen que esperar el pago hasta que el caso se termine como sería con UIM. Normalmente ofrecen límites entre $10,000 y $35,000. Yo le recomiendo que compre $35,000 especialmente si no tiene seguro médico. El PIP no tiene deducible ni requiere pago de su bolsillo por cada visita. Aunque tenga seguro médico debe comprar PIP.

Hay otras coberturas disponibles sobre las cuales escribiré en el futuro. En mi opinión Liability (que cubre si tiene que pagar daños a terceros), UIM, and PIP son las más importantes. Siempre compre los límites más altos que usted pueda pagar ya que hay muchos conductores que manejan sin seguro.