Yes, it does. The minimum allowed is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Q: Should I have underinsured motorist coverage?
The minimum policy only covers $25,000 in bodily injury per person. That means that if someone hits you and you have severe injuries, the most you may be able to get to recover for your injuries is $25,000. When you consider the skyrocketing costs of medical treatment, that is a small amount of money that may pay for your ambulance ride, your emergency room treatment, and little else.
That’s why it’s a great idea to carry underinsured motorist coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage because people are driving around without any coverage and all. You can buy underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage through your regular car insurance company. We recommend, at the very minimum, $100,000 in coverage, and at a maximum, as much as you can afford.
If someone only has a $25,000 policy and your injuries exceed that amount, which they often will, your underinsured motorist insurance kicks in and kind of steps into the shoes of the person who hit you.
Also, we find that your insurance premiums won’t go up significantly.
For example, we once had a car accident case where the injury victim, our client, was carrying $300,000 in underinsured motorist coverage. He was a young 29-year-old machinist, making $80,000 a year, and was rear-ended by a drunk driver who only had the $25,000 minimum coverage. The victim was seriously hurt, needed back surgery and was unable to go back to work. We were able to recover for him $25,000 from the driver who hit him under his policy, but then we were also able to get $300,000 from his own insurance company. If he hadn’t had his underinsured motorist coverage, he’d be out of luck.
Q: If I’m injured by a motorist with the minimum insurance coverage allowed by law, can I collect from the driver for my damages in excess of the $25,000?
Legally yes, but if the driver is only carrying $25,000 of coverage, they often may not have much money and assets to protect. And even if you get a judgment in a trial against the defendant, there are collection issues.
That said, if our research reveals that the person who injured you has assets, we will do everything we can to ensure that you are compensation for your injuries to the fullest extent possible.
Call us for a FREE consultation and you’ll be one step closer to receiving the compensation and benefits you deserve. We have over 30 years of experience and 3 convenient locations in Twin Falls, Burley & Ketchum. We also serve the communities of Rupert, Hailey, Jerome, Gooding and all surrounding areas in Southern Idaho.