Jill: Hi everybody! I'm Jill Bollwerk.
Andy: And I'm Andy Pichler, and we are the attorneys at Bollwerk and Associates in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jill: What are we drinking out of this week, Andy?
Andy: Today we've got mugs from the people that do our website, Foster Web Marketing. This is a cool story - our web designers, shout out to John Spare, saw Coffee with the Counselors and thought it was so much fun that they talked to some of their clients and told them to send us coffee mugs.
Jill: On future episodes, we're going to have mugs from other firms across the country. It's like a mug exchange! Wasn't what we intended when we started this, but it's really cool that it went in that direction.
Today's Topic: Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Jill: Today we're continuing part three of our series on different portions of your auto policy. Andy, we're talking about uninsured motorist coverage. Can you tell folks what that is?
Andy: It's mandatory in Missouri. If you're injured by somebody that either takes off in a hit and run or somebody that doesn't have liability insurance, the uninsured motorist coverage that you have as part of your policy will kick in.
Jill: So it kind of takes the place of the person who didn't have insurance?
Andy: Correct. Your insurance company basically stands in the place of what the other person's insurance company would do.
Important Policy Requirements
Jill: There are some important things you need to know about uninsured motorist coverage:
- You must read your policy carefully
- When you have an accident with an uninsured motorist, your policy will tell you what you have to do to make that claim
- Usually requires filing a police report
- Requires providing proof that the person doesn't have insurance
Ways to Prove Lack of Insurance
- Getting a letter from their previous insurance company stating they no longer insure the person
- Filing a motor vehicle accident report with the state
- The state can contact them to verify insurance status
- If they don't answer or confirm no insurance, that serves as proof
Policy Stacking
Andy: The good thing about uninsured motorist coverage is that it can stack.
Jill: If you have multiple cars under the same household, when you get your uninsured motorist coverage to kick in, you could potentially stack the policies for however many vehicles you have. This is especially important in cases where you're severely injured and maybe that initial policy isn't enough.
Important Notes About Stacking
- Most policies have anti-stacking language
- With anti-stacking language: First policy covers full amount, additional policies cover minimum ($25,000)
- Without anti-stacking language: Each policy covers full amount
- It's rare to not see anti-stacking language
- For serious accidents, have a lawyer review all policies
What Happens to Uninsured Drivers?
Jill: People are often angry that they have to use their own insurance coverage when someone else hurt them. However:
- Filing a motor vehicle accident report usually leads to license suspension for the uninsured driver
- Your insurance company typically tries to recover their money from the other person
- The uninsured motorist doesn't get away unscathed
- While it would be better if they had insurance, this is why you have uninsured motorist coverage
Andy: Next time we're doing the cousin of uninsured motorist - underinsured motorist.
Jill: Yes, they're cousins! People get them confused because uninsured motorist is abbreviated as UM and underinsured motorist is abbreviated as UIM.
Both: We look forward to seeing you next time! If you want to send us a mug, we'll be happy to feature it on the next episode of Coffee with Counselors.
*Note: If you have an accident with an uninsured motorist, it's important to work with a lawyer who knows their way around an insurance policy to ensure all details are properly handled.*
