When some people buy a car insurance policy, they aren’t always looking at the coverage amounts they are getting. Many only want a policy that is cheap and meets the minimum requirements of the state. However, this minimal coverage isn’t always suitable for serious crashes.
Many experts cite $100,000 as the minimal coverage that a person needs for a per-person bodily injury policy. They further note that there should be at least $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident. If a person purchases the minimum coverage allowed by Colorado, they aren’t getting coverage anywhere near those figures.
In Colorado, a car insurance policy only has to have $25,000 of per-person bodily injury coverage. The per accident coverage minimum in this state is only $50,000. These coverage amounts mean that you might not be protected if a person with the bare minimum insurance coverage slams into you.
There isn’t any way that $25,000 will cover all of your medical bills if you suffer a catastrophic injury. If more than two people are injured in the crash, the coverage would dip below $25,000 per person if the driver who struck you only has minimal coverage.
On your own car insurance policy, you have the option to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This could help you out if you are struck by someone who has minimal or no insurance. If you can’t get sufficient compensation from the insurance policies, you have the option of seeking compensation via a civil claim. In all cases involving underinsured or uninsured drivers, it is usually a good idea to seek help from an attorney who is experienced with these situations.
Source: Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, “Colorado Auto Insurance Requirements,” accessed July 20, 2017
