Georgia Insurance Coverage and Why You Need UM Coverage

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In determining how to proceed with your car accident case, it is important to determine all insurance coverage that may apply to your accident. We understand insurance coverages and what to make sure you understand the coverage in your case

In Georgia drivers are required to carry certain minimum liability coverage of $25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person in any one accident, $50,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more persons in any one accident, and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of property.

In many cases, the at-fault driver may completely lack car insurance or may not have adequate insurance to cover your damages and are therefore an “underinsured” motorist. Because Georgia state minimum coverage is only $25,000 many motorists are “underinsured” as people only carry minimum coverage to lessen their monthly premium. Unfortunately, it is injured plaintiffs who are hurt by the underinsured or uninsured status of defendant-drivers.

“We understand Georgia insurance coverage and all possible insurance that may apply in your case.”

With UM coverage, you can offset the costs of a car accident if the negligent driver does not have enough insurance coverage to meet the expenses—your insurance policy will provide coverage for the damages. It also comes in handy when dealing with a hit-and-run situation or a pedestrian accident. UM coverage will also benefit passengers of cars that were struck by uninsured drivers.
Under Georgia law, insurers must offer UM coverage. If you do not wish to purchase it, you will have to put your rejection in writing when signing up for a policy. Your insurer is required to provide UM coverage in an amount equal to the liability insurance limits of your policy.

In Georgia, there are two types of UM coverage: “add-on” and “reduced-by” coverage. The default under current Georgia law is for add-on coverage; if you wish to purchase reduced-by coverage, you must put that selection in writing when you buy the policy.

  • Add-on coverage – This means you can “stack” your UM coverage on top of the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage. If they have $25,000 in bodily injury insurance and you have $25,000 in UM insurance, you can “stack” both policies on top of each other, giving you $50,000 in available funds.
  • Reduced-by coverage – This coverage only allows you to use your UM coverage to the extent it is more than the negligent driver’s liability limits. So, if at-fault driver had $50,000 in bodily injury coverage and your UM insurance has $100,000 in bodily injury coverage, you could use $50,000 of your coverage (the difference). But, if you both only had $50,000 in UM bodily injury coverage, you would not have available funds under your policy.

If you have more than one UM insurance policy available to you, you may be able to “stack” them on top of each other, as well.

We understand Georgia insurance coverage and all possible insurance that may apply in your case. We want you to be informed about the coverage that applies to your case so that you can make informed decisions about insurance available to treat your injuries.

Nick Martin
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