/24-7PressRelease/ - SOUTHFIELD, MI, July 04, 2008 - Michael Morse, Southfield attorney and principal of Auto Accident Claim Center, warns the more than 7,000,000 licensed Michigan motorists, they may not be sufficiently covered by their insurance agency. Morse handles auto accident cases statewide and contends under insurance is the one type of coverage that can be a financial lifesaver and the one most agents don't bring up. The State Farm agency claims to insure one in five Michigan motorists, yet they are the only agency in Michigan that doesn't offer under insurance ... that means approximately 1.5 million Michigan drivers are at risk!
Under insurance coverage is optional and you must specifically request it when purchasing insurance. It provides protection when a driver is involved in an accident with another driver that does not have enough liability insurance to cover damages and injuries. In Michigan, the minimum liability policy is $20,000 per person in an accident. In many cases, individuals suffer injuries and damages that far exceed the other driver's minimum policy, causing a severe impact on their financial stability. Without under insurance a person could lose their home and their savings.
For example: A mini-van driver causes an accident with a pick-up truck. The driver of the mini-van has a $20,000 policy and the pick-up truck driver has a $100,000 policy that includes under insurance. The pick-up truck driver suffers severe injuries requiring extensive surgery. The pick-up driver must first file a claim to receive the full $20,000 of coverage from the mini-van driver; then he may file a claim with his own insurance and seek up to $80,000 of coverage for his injuries.
Choosing the right amount of underinsurance coverage is one of the most important decisions when purchasing car insurance. Coverage ranges from $20,000 to a million. "You should always have as much underinsurance coverage as you can afford," says Morse. "It's relatively cheap, but rates can vary depending on your insurance agency. Unfortunately, State Farm Insurance doesn't offer this protection so if you are hit and the person responsible is underinsured, only the amount of their policy can be collected."
Morse is available to discuss the importance of proper insurance in the event of an accident as well as important things to do if involved in an accident:
• Call police
• Remain at the accident scene
• Call auto insurance company and make the claim
• Exchange information with other driver(s)
• Obtain names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses at the scene
• Seek medical attention as soon as possible
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