4 Decades of Million Dollar Recoveries

(919) 683-2135

CONTACT US TODAY

Our Blog

Why Everyone Should Have Underinsured and Uninsured Coverage


The law requires that every vehicle be insured to provide coverage if the driver of that vehicle causes an accident.   This is called liability insurance coverage.

Auto Insurance Law For North Carolina Drivers:

  • The required minimum coverage is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident.
  • If only one person is injured, that person can recover up to $30,000 from the liability insurance policy.
  • If more than two people are injured, the available coverage may be less than $30,000 depending on the severity of the injuries.

The most tragic type of accident is when someone is severely injured and the responsible party has only the minimal coverage.  What happens in that circumstance?

North Carolina mandates that all insurance companies offer what is called underinsured and uninsured motorists coverage.

  • Uninsured coverage will cover an injured person who is injured by someone with no insurance.
  • Underinsured coverage will provide coverage when the “at fault” driver has insurance, but it is inadequate to compensate for all the injuries caused by the collision.

Glenn, Mills, Fisher & Mahoney has been representing many individuals and families that were inadequately compensated for a severe and disabling injury due to their failure to have uninsured and underinsured coverage.  It is rare that an individual has sufficient assets under North Carolina law to pay damages out of their own assets, so an injured person is usually compensated only by available insurance coverage.

Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage Facts:

  • A person or family may purchase up to $1,000,000 in uninsured and underinsured insurance coverage in a single policy.
  • If family members have separate insurance policies, and live in the same household, then the amounts of the underinsured and uninsured coverages can usually be combined, or stacked to provide the sum of all separate policies.
  • Underinsured and uninsured coverage is available to the named insured in the insurance policy and all family members that reside in their household.

If you have uninsured and underinsured  coverages and your child is hurt by a negligent driver with no or insufficient liability insurance coverage, then your child can recover compensation even if the child was hit as a pedestrian, on a bicycle or while in someone else’s car.

This type of insurance coverage is also available to anyone in your automobile that is injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver, even if they are not family members.

Liability insurance protects the rest of the world from you.  Uninsured and underinsured insurance coverage protects you, your family, and friends in your car, from the rest of the world.

Call your insurance company and ask about your coverage.  If you do not have it, ask about adding to your policy.