Wisconsin Going In The Right Direction On Auto Insurance

Mike Bryant

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 555

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It is amazing how often clients who return after a second automobile collision have additional automobile insurance coverage the second time. The first one taught them how important it is to stack their coverages and to buy enough to protect their family. It's one of those long term benefits that insurance companies never seem to admit. I'm sorry that they were hurt again, honored that they would seek our help again, and heartened that they learned and protected themselves.

It was nice to read that Wisconsin helped the first time insurance consumer:

• They eliminated reducing clauses, so that insurance companies can no longer deduct the amount of insurance carried by a negligent driver from the uninsured or underinsured coverage purchased by an injured policyholder, allowing policy holders to access the full amount of insurance they have purchased.
• Mandated that drivers purchase auto liability insurance
• Increased minimum limits to require that polices must cover “$50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to such limit for one person, $100,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
• Required all liability policies to include underinsured motorist coverage with limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
• Required that the holder of an umbrella or excess liability policy reject in writing an offer of underinsured and uninsured coverage.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage for hit-and-run accidents because no physical contact occurred.

There is a lot of great coverages here that will protect all Wisconsin drivers. Hopefully, legislators in Minnesota will be looking this bill over. Each of these provisions would make for greater coverages for Minnesotans if they were added.