What is “Insurance Stacking?”

Having car insurance is important in any accident, but especially when an uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) hits your vehicle because that driver does not have adequate insurance to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In this situation auto insurance “stacking” can be a lifesaver. Not all states allow stacking, but Georgia does. Here is how it works.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance coverage is a coverage you may have elected to purchase on your own vehicle(s). Where you have more than one vehicle in your household and the vehicles are insured by separate policies of insurance you may be able to stack the coverages. Stacking UM/UIM coverages allows you to collect from more than one car insurance policy so you can be paid in full for your damages. It is important to confer with a local attorney to understand if you can stack your insurance.

Here’s an example of how it works: Driver is the owner more than one car insurance policy insuring two or more vehicles with uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Driver is hit by an uninsured motorist. Driver collects the limits allowed under the UM coverage for as many vehicles as necessary to receive full payment for damages. Thus, if driver has a two cars, each with a separate policy providing $25,000 worth of bodily injury UM coverage per person on each vehicle, driver may collect a maximum of $50,000 ($25,000 + $25,000).

Another example of insurance stacking can occur when driver is the owner of more than one car insurance policy with underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Driver is hit by an underinsured motorist, who has only the minimum liability limits of $25,000. However the driver’s injuries are serious and the full value of his claim is $100,000. So, driver makes a claim against his UIM coverages. If driver has one policy with $25,000 worth of UIM add-on bodily injury coverage per individual and another worth $50,000 of UIM add-on bodily injury coverage, the driver may collect up to $100,000 for injuries caused by an accident with an underinsured driver ($25,000 from the responsible driver’s insurance and $75,000 stacked UIM coverage from his policies).

It is important to understand when insurance stacking is allowed. Many companies insert language that prohibits its policyholders from stacking their insurance.

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident that was not your fault you have the right to receive compensation. The attorneys of Murphy & Garner, LLC, have over 32 years of experience serving accident victims in western Georgia and the surrounding area. We will fight for your rights and get you the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free consultation at 866-942-0552 or 678-563-1584.

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