Many Tennessee drivers take a misguided approach to automotive insurance. Drivers in Tennessee have a legal obligation to carry liability coverage. Their policy helps ensure that other parties won’t bear the burden of a crash that they cause. Liability coverage can reimburse the people affected when a Tennessee driver causes a crash and injures people or damages their property. Oftentimes, people look for the cheapest insurance coverage that they can find. Doing so often means limiting what coverage someone carries.
Many Tennessee drivers end up in scenarios where they think insurance could help them, only to find that their policy doesn’t include the right kinds of coverage. As such, drivers may benefit from reviewing their existing policies and change the coverage they carry for enhanced personal protection.
What coverage do drivers need?
Drivers do need liability coverage, as the cost generated in the crash can be quite severe. What Tennessee requires is not necessarily enough to protect someone from liability after a crash. The state only mandates $25,000 of property damage coverage.
The amount of bodily injury coverage depends on the number of people hurt in a single crash. At a minimum, someone should have $25,000 if they hurt one person and $50,000 if two or more people end up hurt. That could be far less than the costs of injuries after a crash. One of the first investments people may choose to make is in higher levels of liability coverage. If they do cause a crash where people end up hurt or worse, they are at less risk of facing a lawsuit.
Drivers may also want to add coverage that applies when a driver at fault for a crash doesn’t have insurance or has very low coverage amounts. Uninsured motorist protection and underinsured motorist coverage can help people pay for hospital bills or vehicle repairs after a crash caused by someone with insufficient insurance. People may also need to add coverage for other people in their household or anyone else who might drive their vehicles.
Comprehensive or collision coverage could also be a smart addition. In some cases, that coverage may be mandatory because someone has a leased vehicle. Other times, it is optional. Given how active wildlife can be throughout the year in Tennessee, coverage that applies to wildlife crashes, like comprehensive or collision coverage, could be quite valuable for a motorist. It’s worth noting that some insurance companies do use different names for certain types of coverage, so those looking to enhance their coverage may need help when they review their options.
Ultimately, conducting a thorough review of one’s policy and updating it as necessary could reduce the financial stress someone might experience after their involvement in a harmful incident on Tennessee roads.