Does anyone have Underinsured Motorists coverage on their insurance policy?

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 08/07/2017 at 18:54 • Filed to: Insurance

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Endless bills!

With the latest car shuffle, we are reevaluating our insurance policy. My agent is recommending (I mean, it IS their job) that I get UIM coverage on the Lexus, as it is allegedly worth something. And they are correct that I live in Everett, where the odds of getting hit by someone without insurance is indeed higher than I want to acknowledge.

It is illegal to not have insurance in WA, but that doesn’t stop a lot of people.

On the other hand, the car is only worth $7-to-9k, not $35k. And if I experience bodily harm, I have health insurance. I also only drive 2,500 miles a year combined in my personal vehicles.

I don’t know, what do you y’all think? Am I crazy for not having UIM right now?

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:01

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Whether or not it’s worth it will naturally come down to the amount it increases your premium. If reasonable it’s definitely worth it. My wife actually used it twice with her old car. Once was a hit and run that she got repaired under insurance because she had it.

dogisbadob > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:02

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I thought it was required

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:03

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Does it add very much to the cost that it matters? I just checked my policy and it’s only $9.47 for six months. I’ve always had it because people, at least in the states I’ve lived, are required to have so little insurance that it hardly covers anything.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:05

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I have it but I live in Montucky, so lots of uninsured drivers around here. 10/10 would get, was hit a few years ago by an uninsured driver in California, go figure.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:09

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Get UIM (I think it’s one of the cheaper coverages, too). Seriously, I’ve seen people get absolutely screwed by not having it.

Doesn’t just cover uninsured drivers, but hit and runs, hit while parked and unoccupied, etc. Come out from the grocery store to find someone has flung their door open and left a foot tall crease in yours? Uninsured motorist claim.

UM claims don’t hit your claims history as hard (or at all depending on whom you ask) when your premiums are being determined (but verify that with your agent, insurance regs vary from state to state).

Edit: Started drinking early. Uninsured or underinsured?

E90M3 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:12

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I have it. When I was living in south Texas I made sure I had it. Didn’t want to worry about someone visiting from Mexico hitting my car and then going back home and having to try and deal with that headache.

Steve in Manhattan > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:13

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I don’t buy travel insurance, but I take the best they offer when I rent a car. Even if it’s a credit card where they include it (I have no idea, generally) I think a couple or 15 bucks a day is worth it. And I haven’t had an accident since the 80s.

So yeah - I agree with the consensus here, and that seems to be take the insurance unless it’s way expensive. Especially if you have a good relationship with your agent/carrier - they won’t try to deny a claim if you’re a good customer.

FoilyDoily > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:14

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I keep it. The cost is usually pretty low, just in case I do need it.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:19

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Your agent should be able to tell you the percentage of Washington drivers without insurance.

It’s a scary high number....

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:21

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I do, but then, both my parents are in insurance.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:24

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Yep, at least for me it’s only $7 a month. I’d rather pay that than have to pay the deductible on my joke of a health insurance plan.

Berang > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:39

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I do. I was lucky enough to have it when I had a car get totaled by an uninsured driver. I still got screwed on the value of the car, but at least I got something without having to go to court for it.

BigBlock440 > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 08/07/2017 at 19:42

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In my state that’d be comprehensive. I’ve heard of hit-and-runs not being covered due to the inability to verify the offender’s insurance status.

razorbeamteam > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 19:49

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I lost my Volvo 240 to an uninsured, unlicensed driver in Chicago where its pretty common to not have insurance. I didn’t see a dime and ended up parting out the whole thing to recoup any $$.

Don’t be like me, get UIM.  

Birddog > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 20:04

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Yes! I’m a bit paranoid though and tend to over-insure.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > BigBlock440 08/07/2017 at 20:07

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Yeah, it varies from state to state.

Here, comprehensive is “act of god”. Tree falls on car, flash flood, hail damage, deer jumps in road, etc.

UM kicks in for uninsured drivers, or claims where the at-fault party failed to report.

deekster_caddy > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 20:19

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Get UIM and bodily harm. That covers your passengers as well. There’s also some odd fuzzy lines where health insurance may not cover something resulting from an auto accident, it has to be from auto insurance... so yeah.

Matsayz > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 20:33

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We have all the insurance possible. Just do it

Wacko > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 20:50

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All depends on if you don’t mind loosing your car if something or anything happens.

I always had full insurance on all my DDs. My jeeps had basic coverage.

Even my side by side is insured for the price I paid it.

In the 90s I had 2000.00$ cars, and had basic insurance. I knew that I would loos them if anything happened.

My pathfinder was a year old when I bought it. I have a policy that pays my purchase price + inflation.

RPM esq. > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 21:13

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I do. I think it’s a good idea.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 21:17

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I have it, I’ve never had to use it but it’s so cheap I just roll with it. I mean if an asshole totals your car without insurance you’ll be out a car and you’ll have to fight them personally in some type of court to get your money back (my understanding correct me if I’m wrong)

Boxer_4 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 21:19

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I pay $4 a year for uninsured coverage, and $35 a year for under-insured coverage. It may be different in your area, but it tends to be incredibly cheap.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > deekster_caddy 08/07/2017 at 21:53

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I second reading the fine print regrding health care.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > cmill189 - sans Volvo 08/07/2017 at 21:55

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I was just talking about this yesterday with my dad and looked it up. We swear the value hasn’t changed in 20 years which is bonkers considering how much the value of cars and health care have increased.

bhtooefr > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 22:02

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Uninsured is absolutely worth it.

Underinsured... apparently minimum coverage in Washington is $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage. (Oh, and that’s $10,000 per accident, so if someone with minimum coverage hits multiple cars in one accident... yeah, you want to carry it.) And, note that health insurance often has nasty deductibles that you have to get through first, and issues with out of network providers - better if you can take the costs of recovering from a crash out of auto insurance than health insurance.

Edit: So I just looked at my plan (here in Ohio, where $25,000 of property damage minimums per accident are the thing, but otherwise, the bodily injury minimums are the same). Here’s what I’m carrying:

$100,000/person and $300,000/accident bodily injury liability

$100,000/accident property damage liability

$100,000/person and $300,000/accident uninsured/underinsured bodily injury coverage (note that this covers my passengers, too)

$25,000/accident uninsured motorist property damage on the Miata - apparently I don’t have underinsured on it. Seeing as I plan on selling it eventually, and barely drive it... (Edit 2: Looks like that’s just the way Progressive packages things, underinsured property damage isn’t an offering.)

The Prius has collision and comprehensive, so it doesn’t get uninsured/underinsured.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 22:14

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I’ve always had it. I doesn’t cost much, and I’ve used it twice. Both times I was hit in my long-gone 96 Suburban by folks that drove off and I was unable to get thier license plate.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 22:26

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Adding my vote to YES get uninsured/underinsured coverage. A friend of mine had a vehicle totaled a few years back by someone without insurance and he didn’t have the coverage at the time. It really sucked having to buy a replacement car without any help from insurance.

His Stigness > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 08/07/2017 at 22:43

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In California at least, UIM does not cover damage while parked. You have to have some sort of follow-up (license plate, driver’s license, etc.) in order to get your deductible waived. Just another trick for insurance companies getting out of actually paying for things, or paying as little as possible.

Now even though you have to pay your deductible if someone dings your door, it does not count as an at-fault accident and raise your rates. But if you make a shit ton of claims they could drop you.

His Stigness > BigBlock440 08/07/2017 at 22:45

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That’s true in California. To actually qualify for UIM (which is basically just waiving your deductible) you have to get the DMV to say the driver was uninsured at the time of the accident, so that involves getting the license plate or driver license.

His Stigness > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2017 at 22:49

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At least in California, and on my plan, uninsured motorists costs so little it would be stupid not to have it. Will I probably ever actually use it? Probably not. In California for the insurance to actually use UIM, you need to get follow up (driver’s license, license plate, etc) and then have DMV say that at the time of the accident the driver (or registered owner) was not licensed, in which case your UIM will take effect.

This is also why I pay for a low deductible; I do not want to be priced out of my own insurance if something happens, whether my fault or not. I honestly don’t understand paying for insurance but then choosing a deductible that is so high you will never be able to actually use your coverage.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/08/2017 at 06:44

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bugger insurance

;)

nerd_racing > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/08/2017 at 07:19

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I’m pretty sure my state requires it.

functionoverfashion > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 08/08/2017 at 09:58

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For me comprehensive includes “acts of god” as you say, (it probably actually says that in the policy, lol) and anything where you are at fault but there’s no one else involved. Skid off the road into a ditch? Comprehensive. Hit and run? Probably UIM.

wafflesnfalafel > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/08/2017 at 20:20

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yes - you are potentially crazy. The percentage of uninsured or underinsured vehicles in this area is fairly high - pushing 30%. Especially important for the Bodily Injury if you or your passengers have major injuries.