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Do you have enough insurance coverage?

By Beth Gibson on January 25, 2019

When people come to GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys for help, most think they’re “covered” by their auto insurance company. But are they? Here’s what personal injury lawyers Ken Gibson and John Singleton had to say:

John: “It’s amazing when we talk to people, and ask, ‘What kind of insurance coverage do you have?’ And they say, ‘Oh, I have full coverage.’ Because you’ve been told by an insurance agent, ‘Hey, this is full coverage, this is what you need.’ But oftentimes, insurance policies are really geared to ‘What can you afford? What can you pay for?’

“Sometimes, when people think they’ve got full coverage, what they really have is just liability coverage. This means your insurance is only going to pay what you have to pay to the person you hit.

“But when you’ve been in a wreck and you’ve been hurt, sometimes you’ve got to look to your own insurance policy, to your underinsured motorist coverage, or to your own medical payment coverage.

“You’ll also want to ask if your insurance policy has rental insurance coverage, or towing coverage, and even if there’s personal property damage coverage. When you come to us as a client, we’ll want to see your insurance policy, your medical records, and your health insurance card upfront. This is because it really helps us figure out if we can tap into other parts of your insurance policy to help pay for your damages.”

Note:  The minimum liability policy limits in Virginia are $25,000 for the bodily injury/death of one person, $50,000 for the bodily injury/death of two or more persons, and $20,000 for property damage to another person’s car. But any driver in Virginia is allowed to pay an Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee to the DMV and take the risk of driving without insurance at all. In such a case, that person’s personal assets and property would be at risk in a lawsuit.

Ken: “Often, when people come into our office, they’re under financial stress. They’re unable to work. One of the things that we look for on their policy is whether they have medpay coverage or ‘medical payments coverage.’ This is coverage, under your own auto insurance policy, that will pay you, dollar for dollar, for your medical bills. This is in addition to whatever settlement or verdict we can obtain for you.

“One of the things that we do, free of charge—we don’t take any portion of this money—is to help you process your medpay coverage so that you can start paying your medical bills right away.

“Another thing that we help our clients with is processing their property damage claim. Many times in wrecks, a client’s car is totaled, and they’ve got to get a replacement car. But insurance companies aren’t always cooperative in giving you full coverage or full value for your vehicle. So if you need assistance with that, we’re happy to call the adjuster and help you through that process as well.”

Our legal team at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys knows how confusing and difficult the aftermath of a car accident can be. That’s why we go above and beyond to help our clients in gaining a full recovery. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, call (804) 413-6777 for a free case evaluation.

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Community service

Prevention, empathy, and diligence are hallmarks of everything we do at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. Our community can see these ideals lived out in our work to prevent personal injuries from happening.

  • Safety Education
    GibsonSingleton launches a “Texts=Wrecks” campaign to reduce the number of people injured or killed by distracted drivers.
  • Annual Coat Drive
    During the fall, our team works to distribute coats to people in need in our community.
  • Hands-on Service
    John and Ken join the Gloucester Point Rotary Club in cleaning up the community.
  • Supporting Local Schools
    The Gibson family participates in Gloucester’s Botetourt Elementary Shuffle fundraiser.