In the state of Colorado motorists are required to carry a certain amount of auto insurance in order to be classified as being properly protected. Drivers need to have a policy with at least $25,000 liability coverage for bodily injury to a single person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 per accident for property damages. Being prepared for an accident often means having more than just the standard limits. If, for example, a driver struck and severely damaged a $28,000 vehicle, then the required $15,000 for property damage would not be enough, and the policy owner may have to pay the rest out of pocket; motorists may want to consider raising liability limits to help avoid such incidents.
Additionally, the Centennial State requires motorists to obtain Medical Payment Coverage of at least $5,000 which pays for the insured driver and passengers in an accident regardless of who is at fault. Although mandatory, policyholders can choose to opt out of med-pay by stating in writing that they wish to do so when initially purchasing an automobile policy. Although possible, opting out is almost never recommended. In regards to the amount of protection required, drivers are encouraged to increase the limits of med-pay, since the minimum limits are relatively low compared to the cost of medical care and injuries that may be sustained in a traffic accident, especially if more than one person is injured.
As previously mentioned, having such low limits on one’s Colorado auto insurance policy could prove disastrous in the event of a serious accident, potentially amounting to fairly high out of pocket expenses. Increasing levels of coverage can usually be done with only a small increase in ones rates, with the result being better protection.
Being a prepared motorist does not mean that others on the open road are similarly protected. In 2007 for example, the Insurance Research Council found that roughly 15% of Colorado vehicle owners were driving uninsured and motorists may want to protect against such drivers and the costs that can be incurred following an accident. Another thing to worry about is underinsured motorists. The state’s minimum property damage liability limit is only $15,000. So, if a driver with the minimum level of coverage totals another car that is worth more than $15,000, he or she cannot cover the full amount of repairs and would be considered under-insured, which could leave the victim held footing the bill. To combat this and increase overall levels of protection, policyholders must take these figures into consideration.
By obtaining uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, a CO vehicle owner could be tremendously increasing their protection. For what amounts to only a relatively small raise in rates insureds may be able to prevent thousands of dollars worth of expenses that may result from a traffic accident with a driver that is not adequately covered. Although the state insurance minimums are in place in order to protect drivers, these limits, as stated above, are often not enough to supply enough coverage to protect against many different situations that might arise. A prepared driver would counter these potential risks by increasing these limits wherever possible. To further illustrate these points the Centennial State and the Department of Regulatory Agencies have released a consumers guide to help consumers better understand un-insured or under-insured motorist coverage in Colorado in order to keep residents aware of potential pitfalls in being unprepared for accidents involving uninsured motorists.
Source: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/colorado/
