Auto Insurance Coverage Las Vegas - Car Insurance

A question I'm often asked is, "Do I need under-insured motorist coverage in Las Vegas?", and the answer I always give is, "Absolutely!". Especially in this economic time where we're finding now, more than ever, people on the roadways of Las Vegas have no auto insurance coverage, and as a result, if you're hit by someone without insurance, your only recourse is to use your under-insured motorist coverage. If you haven't spoken to your agent recently about what coverages you have, I strongly recommend you talk to your agent about obtaining at least $15,000 worth of under-insured motorist coverage per person. This will protect everyone in your vehicle in the event you're unfortunate enough to be involve in an accident with an under-insured driver.

One of the most important reasons to have under-insured motorist coverage is you'll rely on it to pay medical bills, which aren't covered by health insurance, that you incur as a result of injury sustained in an accident with an uninsured or under-insured motorist. Also, if you miss time from work under-insured motorist coverage can compensate you for that time you missed from work as a result of being insured. Also, compensation for pain and suffering: Without under-insured motorist coverage, if you're involved in an accident with someone who doesn't have liability insurance, you have no recourse whatsoever. I strongly recommend, if you haven't spoken to your agent recently about your auto coverages, first and foremost - make sure you have under-insured coverage on your policy. Also check the limits of that coverage. In this day in age, with the cost of medical expenses going up yearly, it's important to have a sufficient amount of under-insured coverage. This is an expense well worth it, and one that we strongly recommend you take a look at. Make the change sooner rather than later.

One of the things I'm often asked by clients, or people in general, is, "How much insurance should I have? What are the Las Vegas car insurance laws?" That has actually been set by statute. In order to drive legally in Nevada, you have to have at least $15,000 per person in liability coverage. It's funny, that limit was set back in 1958, when the dollar went a lot further than it does now. I encourage all my clients, and everyone I talk to, to get higher limits. It doesn't cost much more; usually just a few dollars more per month can dramatically increase your liability coverage. The other thing that you need to remember, though, is we're having a severe economic crisis in this country, and Nevada has been hit particularly hard. Conservative estimates are that 1 in 6 drivers don't even have car insurance right now. That means that if you're hit by somebody and you're hurt and they don't have coverage, typically they don't have any assets, so you're not going to be able to get any money from that person or that person's insurance company, because it doesn't exist, and you're going to be on the hook for all your medical bills and all your problems, and the cost of your vehicle.

So I encourage all of my clients to get what's called "Uninsured Motorist Protection". Simply stated, that just means that if I get hit by somebody that doesn't have insurance, my insurance company is going to step in and cover it as if they insure that other person. Uninsured motorist carries another benefit: If I'm hit by somebody that has insurance but doesn't have much, and it isn't enough to cover all my harms and my losses, I can turn to my uninsured carrier, and they supplement the insurance the other driver has. It becomes under-insured coverage. I encourage everyone to talk to their insurance agent, and he or she will answer all those questions in more detail, but uninsured motorist is definitely something everybody should have.

I'm often asked, "Do I need a Las Vegas car accident attorney if I'm injured in an accident, especially if it's clear that the person driving the other vehicle was at fault?" The short answer to that question is "yes". Even though liability may be clear, there are many other issues that need to be sorted out throughout the course of the case that requires the experience and work of an attorney. Insurance companies do everything they can to pay as little on claims as possible. That includes paying people less than they're entitled to for their injury claims. They often will try to obtain information about someone that's not represented in order to minimize the claim itself. They will also tell people who aren't represented that they will be fair in the end, only to change course once it comes time to pay. An attorney can help somebody through this process so that they avoid these types of pitfalls. Additionally, attorneys know what rights their clients have and will protect them from the conduct of the insurance company, and the insurance company's attempt to deny a claim, or to "low-ball" someone who's truly entitled to be compensated.

One of the major issues in any injury claim is proof that injuries are actually related to the accident itself, and insurance companies know that the burden of proof rests with the injured person. Attorneys can help the injured person to make sure that injuries are properly documented so that when it comes time for medical bills to be paid, and the person to be compensated for the pain and suffering that has been inflicted upon the as a result of those injuries, that documentation is sufficient, so the insurance company has no choice but to do what is right. In every case, whether liability is clear or not, an injured person certainly can benefit and should have representation by someone who works in the field of personal injury.