The team at MacGillis Wiemer, LLC in Madison has a firsthand understanding of the intricacies involved in car insurance coverage and how, without having adequate coverage, consumers are putting themselves and others at risk. That’s why Danielle Schroder, a partner at MacGillis Wiemer, and other personal injury attorneys at the firm, work hard to make sure their clients are properly protected.
“One of my clients, I’ll call him Brian, was in a serious motorcycle wreck that was not his fault. He was lucky to be alive. Brian had multiple surgeries and his medical bills were around $250,000. Although he made great strides in his recovery, he will have ongoing pain and limitations for the rest of his life,” Schroder says. “The other driver’s liability coverage was capped at $100,000, and Brian did not have underinsured coverage. As such, we could not obtain any more for him beyond the $100,000 that was available. This didn’t even cover his medical bills. Certainly, we could go after the driver personally, but he did not have additional assets to make Brian whole. As such, Brian and his family are left ‘holding the bag’ of the expenses that will follow him the rest of his life. It is tragic.”
Like many states, Wisconsin requires minimum car insurance coverage for all drivers. Drivers must have liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. As Schroder explains, they must also have at least $10,000 for property damage to another vehicle. And the state requires uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Schroder also recommends adding underinsured coverage, which she references in Brian’s story, to cover any gaps in coverage, like he experienced.
“In purchasing car insurance, there are two broad buckets of protection,” Schroder says. “First, is protection for others if you cause a crash and second, is protection for yourself if someone hits you.
The most important components of coverage are for injuries because if the accident is severe, the costs for treatment and the losses of not being able to work and earn an income are great.”
From uninsured motorist coverage to collision coverage to bodily injury liability coverage, the components of car insurance is complex. That’s why MacGillis Wiemer’s attorneys do a thorough analysis of the insurance policies available to clients, which may include a client’s own insurance, the other driver or homeowner’s insurance and, in some cases, commercial policies.
“We also help our clients navigate their bills and the claims process, coordinating payments amongst the various insurers such as health insurance, medpay, worker’s compensation, liability insurance and underinsured motorist,”Schroder says. “ The system can be confusing, and it’s our job to make sure the proper carrier pays the bills in order to maximize our client’s recovery and avoid problems down the road.”
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