Just last Friday I wrote an article about uninsured drivers in Illinois. I called a local agent to ask how many uninsured drivers there might be in Illinois or to ask for a contact at the home office of his Illinois-domiciled huge auto insurance company (you can guess which company), but he didn't call back. Today I called the home office in Bloomington and was referred to a trade association for the information.
In yesterday morning's paper was an article about an unemployed, uninsured (no health insurance, which happens when you are unemployed) Garden Prairie man who was struck by a car while in his own front yard on Saturday, November 21! He is in a Rockford hospital on a respirator with a severed spinal cord and two collapsed lungs. Care to guess what his hospital bill will be? And the cost of care for the rest of his life?
According to the article and the police report, the driver who hit him had no auto insurance. The driver, James L. Taylor, II, 22, of Marengo, told police that he was changing channels on his MP-3 player, blacked out and the next thing he knew, he was stopped and was taking off his seatbelt. Taylor told a deputy that he had had two drinks about two hours earlier and had had no food all day. The crash happened at 4:23PM. Taylor had been eastbound on Route 20 and crossed the oncoming lane of traffic and ran off the road on the left (north) side, seriously injuring the Garden Prairie man.
Care to guess whether he has any money to pay the injured man's medical bills or lifetime care?
The Boone County Court advises no charges are on file yet with them. A call is in to the deputy who handled the crash. When she calls back, further information about charges will be published.
The Illinois Insurance Association (www.illinoisinsurance.org) estimates that 12-15% of the drivers in Illinois are driving without insurance. My guess? It's a lot higher than that!
This might be a good time to review the limits on your own automobile insurance, including uninsured and underinsured (U/U) motorist coverage. Call your agent and ask what happens, if you get hit by someone who doesn't have insurance. Ask how U/U insurance might help cover your expenses, if at all.
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