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If you are about to invest in a car insurance policy from Taake Insurance Agency in Columbia, IL, top in your mind is the safety of you and your car. But have you ever wondered if your auto insurance covers passengers? Because at times we carry people in our cars, it’s important to know what happens in the event they are injured following an accident.
Are passengers covered in an auto accident?
There are two ways we can answer this question. First, if you have invited in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, this insurance plan can cover a certain percentage of injuries sustained by passengers. However, for the passenger to enjoy this benefit, they must show proof of not having PIP coverage on their own. Unfortunately, PIP coverage isn’t mandatory in Illinois, but it is a necessary investment to have.
The second way a passenger in your vehicle can be compensated is by claiming injuries from the other driver responsible for the accident. Since Illinois is an at-fault state, it means the person who caused the accident is responsible for the injuries of you and your passengers.
But what if you both share some fault of the accident? If this happens, you revert to the Illinois “tort” system of comparative fault. To understand this principle, let’s look at the example below.
Suppose you are at fault for 30% of the accident and the other driver the remaining 70%. If the medical bills are $10,000, you will claim 70% ($7,000) of the medical claims from the other driver.
Get more information about car insurance
Sometimes, car insurance isn’t as simple as it looks. You need an experienced insurance agent to teach you the ropes of auto insurance. If you are in Columbia, IL and its environs, please book an appointment with Taake Insurance Agency to learn more about auto insurance.
