There were 14.7 Million Americans unemployed in June of 2009.  That means a national unemployment rate of 9.5 percent.  In 15 states the unemployment rate has topped 10% and with a bleak employment outlook through 2011 most experts assume the number of states over 10% will continue to rise.

These dire statistics often over shadow the less newsworthy real-world effects that a 10% unemployment rate has on Americans.  It is a fact that as the unemployment rate climbs so does the number of uninsured drivers on the road.  In 2008, 13% of New York State drivers were completely uninsured.  Uninsured drivers lead only to tragedy and loss when involved in an accident. Insurancenewsnet.com has a decent article on the effect of umployment on uninsured drivers.

This is an aspect of Auto insurance that most people do not even consider, their Under-insured / Uninsured Motorist Coverage!  Under-insured / Uninsured Motorist Coverage or UIM protects you and your family from an uninsured driver.  If there is an accident and you cannot recoup the necessary expenses from the individual at fault you can put a claim into your own policy.  I bet 85% of the people who just read that had no idea what UIM was.  UIM is probably the Most important coverage on your Auto policy and by far the most overlooked.

So please understand that in the coming years there are going to be more Uninsured drivers on the road than ever before. Call your Agent and ask them to Max Out your UIM coverage.  If the worst happens and God forbid it does, you will thank yourself for making the call.

Disclaimer:

This article is for informational purposely only. There is no legal advice being suggested or proffered and the author assumes no responsibility or liability for the actions take or not taken by the readers based upon such information.

Thank you,

Ryan H.

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