Uninsured Motorist Coverage Can Stack after Your Policy Renews

With the new Georgia Uninsured Underinsured Motorist Insurance statute allowing Uninsured Motorist Coverages to be stacked, there has been some confusion in the legal community as to what Georgia Uninsured Motorist coverages are available for collisions occurring after January 1, 2009. Under the statute, the insurance companies are obligated to send out renewal notices 45 days prior to renewal offering the “added on” type coverage that stacks.

Therefore, unless your policy has renewed in 2009, it is unlikely that you have the “added on” type of Georgia Uninsured Motorist coverage that will allow you to stack your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage that will stack on top of the at fault party’s coverage. In a recent case for a client injured in a car accident in Atlanta, they had already renewed their policy and we were able to stack the at fault driver’s $25,000.00 coverage with our client’s $25,000.00 in Underinsured Motorist coverage to generate a $50,000.00 recovery. If you have serious injury that has a value above the at fault driver’s Georgia insurance limits, be sure to call a knowledgeable lawyer. O.C.G.A. 33-7-11

Ed Dennis says:

August 31, 2009 at 12:06 pm

Paying twice. We all recognize that insurance is a good thing and a necessity but current Georgia plans will bill you two or three times for the same coverage. Uninsured motorist requires you to pay for coverage that duplicates your collision and medical insurance. BUT no one tells you this, they just want you to pay premium after premium. Frarnkly, I am tired of Georgia deciding what I need and what I don’t need. If they want to require liability – OK. If they are interested in protecting anyone then raise the liabilty minimums substantially. Don’t make responsible citizens pay for the irresponsible.

AtlantaInjuryLawyer says:

August 31, 2009 at 12:37 pm

UM insurance is actually not mandatory coverage and remember that some folks either have no health insurance or have a high deductible. You can waive UM but that would be foolish. You are right that in an ideal world, the liability minimums are raised but people would just risk it and drive without it.
Unfortunately we don’t live in that world and clients get their faces shattered by uninsured drunks coming off Buford highway.
Thanks for reading

Randy Robinson says:

December 2, 2009 at 5:41 am

Until you’ve been in an accident with injuries, you don’t appreciate how quickly the bills can add up, far surpassing the minimum liability coverage that the at fault driver is required to carry.
Your medical insurance company may pay your bills initially, but when you settle your claim they are likely to want to recover the money they paid on your behalf. They’ll probably file a lein against your settlement to make sure they are the first ones paid.
The best way to protect yourself and to make sure there is enough coverage to treat your injuries and compensate you for your losses is to have plenty of “add on” uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.