0

Dumb Driver News: South Carolina Motorcyclist Hit Twice: At Fault Driver Calls Boyfriend Before 911

Motor Vehicle Law & Statistics , , , , ,

Recently, one of my clients had the misfortune of being in oncoming traffic while a young girl was talking on her cellphone with her boyfriend. The young girl veered into oncoming traffic and struck my client.

When she got out of the car to check on my client, he begged her to call 911 because he was in a great deal of pain (he was suffering from a broken hip-among other things). She screamed and jumped into the car which did not have the emergency brake on, causing it to roll back over my client in the road.  She jumped out and said, “Oh no!” She then used her cell phone to call her boyfriend to ask what to do. Either her boyfriend heard my client screaming in the background for medical help or he was smarter than his fifth grade educated girlfriend and told her to call the POLICE.

Eventually my client was able to get his cellphone from his pocket and call 911  and get much needed medical attention. After a  week in the local hospital his medical bills from the collision greatly exceeded the dumb girl’s insurance coverage.

This is an excellent illustration for the need in having UIM, or underinsurance, coverage and PIP, or personal injury protection, coverage.  There are a lot of dumb drivers out there with minimal limits which in South Carolina is $25,000.00. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of their ignorance and negligence.

Yes, this is a true story.

0

Three Coverages South Carolina Insurance Policy Holders Should Add

Insurance , , , , ,

As mentioned in my previous post, I am amazed at the insurance coverages my clients never even knew existed. This challenge goes out to all insurance salesmen to better inform your clients of  the coverages and give them examples of why they need it. I know they probably don’t want to pay the extra money and you don’t get much additional commission but it’s your job to explain why $50-$100 extra a year can save them $1,000-$25,000.  I have these three things and so should you:

  1. Personal Injury Protection(P.I.P) and/or Medical Payments (Medpay) coverage- this covers you and all the passengers in your automobile regardless of fault or liability- if you don’t have health insurance this is a must;
  2. Underinsurance(U.I.M) coverage-exactly what it sounds like, except easier to understand when I explained that it helps cover you and your passengers or family when someone injures them that does not have enough insurance or assets to go after; and
  3. GAP Coverage& Renters Insurance-both of these coverages take care of your possessions when they are damaged. The first being your automobile that is over financed and not worth what you owe on it. The second for your possessions while renting someone else’s home or apartment.

I can not help you if you are not helping yourself by taking advantage of the insurance coverage that actually benefits you and not someone else. As much as I comment about how I hate insurance companies, they are a necessary evil. If you are able to play the game of insurance successfully you can and will come out on top.

0

Kay Werts of Fountain Inn: Killed in Fatal Collision

Local News , , , , , ,

The Greenville News was reporting that a fatal accident occurred between Ms. Kay Werts of 738 S. Old Fairview Road and a teenage driver this morning on Fairview Road in Greenville County.

You never know when a freak accident can occur. Please make sure you have your loved ones, friends, and even your enemies taken care of in times of need. It starts with:

  1. Full Coverage Automobile Insurance;
  2. Personal Injury Protection (P.I.P)/ Medical Payments;
  3. Handling Your Property Damage Correctly; and
  4. Avoiding Allstate Insurance Company Because They Suck

If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident, or as a result of another person’s ignorance, negligence, or omission, please feel free to call upon me at 864-231-7171 or toll free at 1-800-483-0880.

0

Bad Economy Leads More Drivers to Drop Insurance

Automobile Insurance , , , , , ,

M.P. McQueen of “The Wall Street Journal” reports that:

More drivers are letting their car insurance lapse because of the sour economy, putting themselves and others at risk……..

Ms. McQueen quoted Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, as saying:

“A good proportion of people on the road are either uninsured or underinsured, and so you have to protect yourself… “

“Your odds of being in an accident with an uninsured driver are substantial.”

As I reported in my “Full Coverage”  article:

Minimum insurance limits in the South Carolina are mandated by S.C. Code Ann. § 38-77-140 and at the present time are 25,000/50,000/25,000. Likewise, UM, or uninsured coverage is mandatory but you should carry higher than the minimum limits.

Insurance coverages that protect you when someone is uninsured, underinsured, or is covered with Allstate are below: (insurance companies don’t want you to know about them because it costs them money in the long run):

  1. UIM–In accordance with C. Code Ann. § 38-77–160, this is optional coverage you can purchase in the event that damages are sustained in excess of the liability limits carried by an at-fault insured (driver) or underinsured motorist. Remember minimum coverage is $25,000.00 per one person.
  2. UM–This is uninsured coverage and essentially your insurance company will defend the at fault person against you. HUH? Read it again. That’s right! You’re own insurance company defends the uninsured person against you. Why? Insurance companies don’t make money paying you money, that includes your insurance company. Call and ask them if you think I am being untruthful.
  3. PIP/MEDPAY– This is the greatest insurance ever. If you do not have it, you’re an idiot. It’s cheap, too.

GAP Coverage-Gap insurance covers the difference between what the insurance company says your car is worth versus what’s left on your car loan, or note.

0

Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Medical Payments Insurance

Insurance , , , ,

P.I.P, or Personal Injury Protection/Medical Payments, insurance coverage is not well known or well publicized.  This type of insurance coverage can play a crucial role if you or someone you love is involved in an automobile wreck.  The most advantageous element of this coverage is the “no-fault” aspect.

  • C. Code Ann. § 38-77-144indicates that PIP coverage is not mandated but if an insurer sells no-fault insurance coverage which provides personal injury protection, medical payment coverage, or economic loss coverage, the coverage shall not be assigned or subrogated and is not subject to a setoff.
  • What does all this mean?  Insurance is just that- insuring against a potential risk.  As I mentioned in my “Full Coverage”article, you get what you pay for.
  • PIP is optional insurance coverage and is relatively inexpensive.
  • PIP covers you and the other occupants in your car that have your permission to be there.
  • If you cause the wreck, you still have coverage.
  • If you did not cause the wreck, you still have coverage IN ADDITIONto any personal injury claims that may arise.

G.I. Joe always helped information sink in when they parted by stating,“Knowing is half the battle!”

Tell your insurance agent you want PIP/h.Medical Payments coverage on your insurance policy-today.

DISCLAIMER: I do not get kickbacks from insurance agents! However, if you have been injured, I can not go after coverage that you never had to begin wit

1 2