One of the big problems for injured motorists and motorcyclists is the bad Louisiana insurance law that only requires $15,000 liability insurance for accidents to be carried by motorists and motorcyclists. In other words, if you are maimed or killed in an automobile accident in Louisiana, chances are the person at fault may only have $15,000 in insurance policy limits. The only total required liability limits are $15,000 per person injured in each accident.

Unless you purchase uninsured motorists coverage (i.e. UM coverage) at extra costs, you are left unprotected from uninsured motorists or under insured motorists. Imagine being killed or disabled and your family or you only can recover a maximum of $15,000 from a motorist who has the legal minimum coverage. That is hardly enough to pay your medical bills must less loss wages or for disability, pain and suffering.

Glenn sees this kind of tragedy occur too often, especially in motorcycle accident cases where the injuries are usually more severe.

When you purchase automobile or motorcycle liability insurance, the insurer are suppose to have you sign a waiver that you do not want to purchase any uninsured motorists coverage. Often they do not. Some agents of insurance companies discourage people purchasing UM coverage to protect them. This is especially true of the smaller online insurance companies. But even large insurance companies have websites you can purchase insurance on that make it hard to purchase UM coverage.

Some of these internet insurance websites automatically have you electronically sign a waiver of UM coverage unless you make several other clicks that take you to multiple pages of their website—or you are deemed to have sign electronically that you waived UM coverage. Insurance companies do not like to write UM policies in Louisiana due to the high odds of having a large UM claim due to the bad insurance law only requiring minimum $15,000 liability limits.

MORALE: MAKE SURE YOU PURCHASE UNINSURED MOTORISTS (UM) COVERAGE THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE AGENT TO PROTECT YOU.

What UM coverage do you need? Consider UM limits to protect you of at least $500,000 UM alone and at least $1,000,000 if you have dependent children. You can buy $15,000/$30,000 liability limits and $500,000 or more UM coverage. You have to be given the option to buy it. You have to waive it in writing. Take advantage of it. All of us need to make sure we have adequate uninsured motorists liability coverage to protect our children, wives and us from economic disaster a serious accident can cause to our loved ones.