Maryland drivers consistently rank at the bottom of several studies that examine safe driving by looking at how often drivers are involved in a car accident. One of the nation’s largest insurers, Allstate, has ranked Baltimore at the bottom of its annual study of 200 cities for at least two years in a row. In addition, about one in seven drivers across the United States is uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council.
The frequency of accidents and the inability to afford auto insurance coverage means that many of the drivers in Baltimore and Ocean City, Maryland don’t have auto insurance or are only insured for the limits required by the state of Maryland, which might not be enough to cover all of the damages incurred in a Baltimore or Ocean City auto accident. As a result, if you are involved in an accident in Maryland, your uninsured and/or underinsured auto insurance coverage will probably come into play.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage applies if the other driver doesn’t carry insurance, if you are involved in an accident with a driver who has minimum limits coverage or if you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident. After the deductible has been satisfied, the auto insurance policy pays damages including medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages. An Ocean City car accident lawyer can provide more details.
Maryland law requires that drivers carry uninsured motorist limits of 30/60/15 or $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury and $15,000 per person for property damage, according to the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund.
Of course, you can pay for higher coverage limits on your policy and Maryland drivers often do so. Higher limits provide additional protection in the event of a Baltimore car accident in which you are at fault and can provide underinsured coverage if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident with a driver who carries the minimum limits for auto insurance coverage.
Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) is insurance coverage for injuries that stem from an Ocean City or Baltimore car accident where the other driver is responsible for the accident but has coverage limits too low to cover the expenses resulting from the auto accident. In most instances, the other driver’s insurance company pays the bills until the policy limits have been reached and then your insurance company steps in and reimburses you for the rest of the damages up to the coverage limits.
Because many people in Baltimore and Ocean City can only afford to carry the minimum auto insurance coverage required by the state and because auto accidents occur more often in Baltimore and Ocean City than in many other parts of the country, it’s a good idea to add underinsured motorist coverage to your policy even though such coverage isn’t legally required.
Maronick Law, LLC is open during the pandemic and will continue to meet your Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Baltimore, Essex, Ocean City, Towson, White Marsh auto accident needs. If you’ve been in a Baltimore motor vehicle accident, you should talk to a car accident attorney. An Ocean City motor vehicle accident lawyer can make sure that you are fully compensated for the expenses you face while recovering.
If you have access to Zoom, we can meet with you remotely. The consultation is free. You can contact Thomas Maronick on his cellphone at 202.288.0167, the law office at 410.402.5571 or via the website.