Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog
A legendary basketball coach was invited to give an inspirational speech to religious leaders. Midway through the speech the group broke for refreshments. Two punch drinks were offered…. One, was spiked for the Catholics, the second was unspiked for the Baptists.
The coach was talking to a rather self-important Baptist minister who mistakenly took a sip of the spiked punch. When he realized that the punch was spiked, he defiantly poured it back into the punch bowl, telling the coach…”I’d rather commit adultery than drink spiked punch.” To which the coach dryly responded, “by God, I didn’t know I had a choice”! ADULTERY OR SPIKED PUNCHED?
In Louisiana you have a choice when it comes to purchasing Uninsured Motorist Coverage. We at the Cardone Law Firm always strenuously recommend that you buy this coverage rather that reject it. UM Coverage is less expensive than what you might think. Typically, it will only cost you an additional $40 to $100 to add this type of coverage to your auto policy. Your quote will vary depending on your driving record, type of vehicle, coverage limits selected, etc. It is common for people to want to save an extra penny here and there, but we promise this small price tag is nothing compared to medical bills, lost wages and other out of pocket expenses you may incur after an accident.
Surprisingly, UM/UIM also provides an UNEXPECTED coverage. If you, as a pedestrian, are struck by a vehicle that does not have automobile insurance you can still make a claim against your own carrier under its uninsured motorist provisions. You may be able to recover money damages for your mental and physical pain and suffering, disability, lost wages and medical expenses (present, past and future) from your OWN uninsured motorist carrier! And listen to this: your premiums will NOT go up … because the accident was not your fault!
We see or hear about vehicles being involved in accidents all the time, but pedestrian accidents are also very common. In fact, Louisiana has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the United States. According to the Department of Transportation, there are nearly 5,000 pedestrian accidents in the state each year, and of those accidents, nearly 88 percent are fatalities!
So, do not commit adultery; Buy uninsured motorist coverage! Louisiana does not require policy holders to purchase uninsured motorist coverage, but you have choices under the Louisiana insurance scheme. Do not solely rely on the at fault driver to provide protection to you; Cover yourself!
The clear and unambiguous point we are trying to make is: NEVER reject UM Coverage. Always buy it. Truth is, you are covering the risk that you might be hit, even as a pedestrian, by an un-insured driver.
For more information about how uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can protect you after an accident, check out our latest blog here.
WGNO (ABC affiliate) Legal Analyst, Cliff Cardone, has helped clients throughout all of Louisiana with their personal injury needs for over 40 years. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, call us today for a free consultation! PHONE CARDONE at 504-522-3333, 225-706-3920 (Baton Rouge office), 1-888-892-2736 (toll free) or email us at ccardone@cardonelaw.com.