Articles Posted in Rhode Island Lawsuit

The purpose of car insurance is to provide a way for accident victims to receive compensation for the injuries they sustain in a Rhode Island car accident. Indeed, without the existence of insurance, Rhode Island car accident victims would not be able to recover adequate compensation for their injuries unless the at-fault party happened to have sufficient assets to cover the expenses.

Despite the requirement that all drivers maintain insurance on their vehicles, the reality is that in many Rhode Island car accidents, the victim’s injuries far exceed the policy maximum of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. In these situations, an accident victim can obtain underinsured/uninsured motorist (UIM) benefits under their own policy.

Under Rhode Island law, all insurance companies must offer UIM insurance when they write a policy. Additionally, all motorists must obtain a certain level of UIM insurance. Only in situations where a motorist obtains the minimum amount of liability insurance can they entirely waive UIM coverage.

In Rhode Island, all motorists are required by law to maintain a certain amount of auto insurance on their vehicles. Under Rhode Island General Laws section 31-31-7, motorists must obtain liability insurance of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. In addition, motorists must obtain $25,000 worth of insurance per accident for property damage. Liability and property damage insurance protects the policyholder in the event that they cause a Rhode Island car accident by covering the costs incurred by victims of the accident. However, it is estimated that 17% of Rhode Island drivers do not maintain sufficient insurance on their vehicles.

If someone is involved in an accident that was caused by another motorist’s negligence, the at-fault motorist will be responsible for any injuries suffered by the accident victims. However, if the at-fault motorist does not have insurance, the accident victim will only be able to pursue a claim against the driver, who may not have the assets to compensate the injury victim adequately. This is where uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) protection comes into play.

Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Protection in Rhode Island

Under a UIM policy, a policyholder is protected from accidents caused by an at-fault motorist who either has no insurance or does not have sufficient insurance to fully compensate the policyholder for the damages caused by the accident.

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