According to the Ohio Insurance Research Council, one in seven motorists in Ohio is operating without Ohio auto insurance. ONE IN SEVEN! That is 14%! After hearing this staggering statistic, I shouldn’t be surprised that I was a victim of one of these drivers.
At the scene, the other driver was able to offer an insurance ID card to the police officer, but the driver did not own the vehicle. She was borrowing a family member’s car who allowed their policy to lapse due to non-pay, so neither Ohio auto insurance was going to cover the claim.
Of course, I did not find this out until five days after the accident and freaked out. “Am I covered?!” “The accident wasn’t my fault!!” “Why should I have to pay out of pocket for an accident I didn’t cause?!”
All these thoughts were running through my head, but thanks to my Preferred Insurance adjuster, I was informed I had the correct optional coverage to take care of this loss.
Phew! I was still pretty upset I would be subject to my collision deductible, $250, but they would cover my bodily injury, medical bills, pain and suffering, AND lost wages. I had a totaled vehicle, doctor’s visits for a neck injury, and could not work for 14 days.
All these bills were covered, less my $250, which Preferred Insurance fought to get back to me for two years. While I was never reimbursed the $250 I paid out of pocket, this is not always the case. Your company will fight for you!
Uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage is optional in Ohio. However, I would not suggest a policy without this coverage after knowing that 14% of drivers are driving without insurance. If I had not had this optional coverage on my policy, I would have been out almost $6,000 and a car. I would gladly pay $250 to have those items covered all over again!
Give us a call to learn more about uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage! Be proactive and get coverage today!
– Written by Andrea AbouJaoude, Service Specialist