If you drive a car in Illinois, you probably have liability insurance. It is, after all, mandatory for drivers, and those who operate a vehicle without liability insurance can be cited if they are pulled over by a law enforcement officer.
Liability insurance is important because it provides a readily available resource pool that car accident victims can draw on to pay for things like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Yet, many liability insurance policies have relatively low coverage limits.
If you are injured by a negligent driver, and the amount of your claim exceeds the coverage limits of that driver's liability insurance policy, you may have trouble getting the money you need to facilitate your recovery. However, a new bill currently awaiting the signature of Illinois governor Pat Quinn could soon be increasing the minimum coverage limits for drivers' liability insurance policies, meaning more funds would ultimately be available to the victims of negligent drivers.
Minimum coverage amounts could increase for the first time in over 20 years
Currently, the minimum insurance coverage required for Illinois divers is a liability policy in the amount of $20,000 for the injury or death of a single person and $40,000 for the injury or death of two or more people. These minimum amounts were established back in 1989, and have not gone up since.
Initially, a proposal was made to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to increase the minimum for a single victim crash to $50,000. However, negotiation in the 2013 Illinois legislative session resulted in a reduced figure, with the minimum liability coverage limit in the current bill set at $25,000. The relatively modest increase of $5,000 was a compromise between providing more compensation to accident victims and keeping premiums low for those drivers who acquire the minimum coverage.
An Illinois personal injury attorney can help you get the most out of your claim
While the potential increase in the minimum liability coverage limits is only $5,000, it is at least a step in the right direction. Furthermore, if you have been injured in a car accident, there may be many other avenues to compensation; you should never just accept the coverage limit as a barrier to recovering the full monetary compensation to which you are entitled.
For one thing, many drivers carry far more than the minimum liability coverage. In addition, if your damages as an accident victim exceed the amount of the negligent driver's liability coverage, you may be able to recover from the driver's personal assets. Even if you are struck by an uninsured driver, you may be able to recover from you own uninsured motorist policy.
If you or a family member has been injured in a car accident, the best thing you can do to ensure you get the most from the insurance companies and any responsible parties is to retain an experienced personal injury attorney. Your attorney will gather evidence, negotiate on your behalf and work hard to achieve a satisfying resolution to your car accident claim. Get in touch with an Illinois personal injury attorney today to learn more about your legal options.