As the warm weather slowly, but surely makes its way towards Chicago, summer vacations begin. This means more and more drivers and their loved ones begin to plan for long road trips. Make it a part of your plan to be aware of the car insurance law in your state at all times, but especially prior to big road trips.
Remember, Illinois is an at fault car insurance state, which means that persons found to be at fault for causing a car accident have to compensate the people that were injured. Illinois has also adopted the modified comparative negligence standard for recovery of damages. This means that an injured party may only recover damages if the defendant is at least 50% at fault. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116.
If you live in Illinois and have a registered motor vehicle in Illinois, then you must carry a certain amount of insurance coverage by law. In Illinois, you must carry at least $25,000 in insurance coverage for the injury or death of a person and $50,000 for the injury or death of more than one person involved in an accident. These types of insurance policies are typically referred to as “minimum coverage” or “25/50 coverage.” It is highly recommended that you have more than the minimum requirement by law because if you are found at fault for an accident and the damages exceed the minimum coverage, then you could be personally liable for the excess amount. 625 ILCS 5/7-203.
Nonetheless, we know that there are people driving without insurance. In fact, in 2012, 12.6 percent of motorists, or about one in eight drivers, were uninsured, according to a 2014 study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC). This is why it is highly recommended to purchase both uninsured motorist coverage (UM) and underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) along with your car insurance. UM coverage will protect you from drivers who do not have insurance coverage while UIM coverage will protect you if your injuries surpass the coverage limits of the party at fault. By having this safety net of additional coverage, you and your loved ones will be protected. If you or anyone you know is involved in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact Goldstein Bender & Romanoff immediately.
— Adrian Q. Saenz
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