If you don't understand what kind of auto insurance you have, let me tell you as a car accident attorney, that you are in the majority. Auto insurance is not easy to understand, but in this article, I'd like to break down the three most important pieces of auto insurance that you need to have. With high amounts of basic coverage, personal injury protection, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage, you will put you and your family in a secure place and protect yourself against the unthinkable.

Mandatory Basic Coverage:

The minimum amount of auto insurance one must have in the state of Washington is $25,000. When you look at your car insurance information and see something like 25/50, it means that you have the minimum car insurance required to drive in this state. The numbers on each side of the backslash mean that your insurance will cover any one person in an accident for up to $25,000, and up to $50,000 for any one accident. Again, this is only the minimum, and if my time as a Seattle personal injury attorney has taught me anything, it is that car accidents oftentimes lead to much more damage than this insurance covers.

I strongly suggest that you get the highest level of coverage you can afford, because the cost associated with car crashes is typically very high. Common levels above the minimum that you may see are "50/100," "100/300," "300/500," all the way up to $1,000,000 in coverage. The important correlation in insurance is that you have enough to cover your assets. So, if you own a house with an equity valued at $300,000, you should get auto insurance of at least that much.

Personal Injury Protection:

Offered as a supplement to basic auto insurance, Personal Injury Protection, better known as PIP, is a very important piece of coverage to have. This kind of insurance is "no-fault," which means that even if you cause the accident, PIP will pay for your medical bills, lost wages and benefits, and damages up to the limit you purchase. This coverage will pay your medical bills for a car accident independent of whose fault it is. With this protection, you will be allowed to see whatever doctor you want, regardless of whose fault the accident was. A common level of PIP coverage is $10,000, but it can go as high as $50,000. As is the case with basic auto insurance, you should purchase as much PIP as you can afford. In Washington State, PIP must be offered by insurance companies, so make sure they do so. You don't have to accept, but it is in your best interest to get it.

Underinsured/Un-insured Motorist Coverage:

Another type of coverage that is not required, but you should absolutely get anyways, is "Uninsured/Under-insured motorist coverage," better known as UM/UIM. In the state of Washington, these two are always offered together as one package due to their similarity. The purpose of this insurance is to protect you against those that are unable to cover the damage they inflict upon you. If you are in an accident with an at-fault driver that does not have auto insurance, your UM coverage will kick in to cover the damages that should be covered by the other person. The UIM part of this coverage is for an accident with an at-fault driver that has purchased a small amount of liability coverage, and does not have enough auto insurance to cover your damages. As the economy continues to struggle, under-insured and uninsured motorists are increasing, so this type of insurance is very important to protect yourself from a devastating situation. It is also important to note that purchasing high levels of insurance is not as expensive as you may think. Getting 10x more coverage does not mean you have to pay 10x more. Ultimately, the more coverage you get, the better the deal is for you.