Motorcycle insurance in South Carolina is often the difference between fair settlements and great injustice. For whatever reason, Progressive is selling more and more motorcycle policies in our state. One reason may be that the insurance premiums being offered by Progressive are incredibly low – at least for liability insurance. What Progressive is not selling at a low price is underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
Understanding Motorcycle Liability Insurance
As you may know, liability insurance protects everyone other than you. For instance, if while riding your motorcycle you ran a red light and struck another vehicle, your liability insurance policy would pay for the damage to that person’s car, as well as for any injury they may have. But let’s say the facts are reversed, and it is someone else that ran a red light and hit you on your motorcycle. Liability insurance would not protect you or pay for any of your medical bills. You would be at the mercy of how much insurance coverage the other driver had, unless you chose to purchase UIM and additional uninsured coverage.
UIM coverage is designed to protect you in cases where the other driver has insurance, but not enough to pay for all your losses. Thus, if the other driver only had $25,000 in liability coverage, but your medical bills were $250,000, your UIM coverage would get triggered to cover your losses. Uninsured coverage is intended to do the same in crashes where the at-fault driver had no insurance at all.
Motorcycle Insurance Laws in South Carolina
South Carolina motorcycle insurance law gives you the right to purchase UIM as well as uninsured motorist coverage, up to the limits of your liability coverage. Therefore, if you have a $300,000 liability policy to protect other people, you can buy up to $300,000 in UIM and uninsured coverage to protect not only yourself, but also the people who ride with you.
I often tell my friends that if they care enough about strangers to protect them, they should care enough about themselves to purchase an equal amount of UIM and uninsured coverage. Even though your premiums may be higher than before, proper insurance coverage on your motorcycle may spare you from an avalanche of medical bills.
Contact a South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, or simply want more information about this important topic, give our motorcycle accident lawyers a call at (803) 790-2800. Motorcycle insurance law in SC can be a saving grace so long as it is well applied. You can also schedule a free phone consultation by filling out our contact form. I look forward to helping you.