In my line of work you get to become an expert on insurance coverage.  To legally drive in Georgia you need at least $25,000 in liability insurance.  There is always the chance the driver who hurt you did not have insurance (keep reading to see how to protect yourself).  Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting there is almost a 30% increase in the number of people driving without insurance.  A previous study by the Insurance Research Council found about 15% of the drivers on our roads were uninsured. That number is now going up.  For every percentage point unemployment goes up, the number of uninsured drivers goes up 1/2 a point.  This number is further compounded by auto insurance rates increasing almost 4% from last year.

So what can you do about it?  I have written a whole article on understanding insurance for car accidents over on my website but here is the abbreviated version.  You need to purchase as much underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage as possible.  This insurance protects you from other drivers who are either uninsured or underinsured.  Another way to really boost your coverage is to purchase an umbrella policy for your house and tack-on uninsured motorist coverage.  Many of my clients report this is the cheaper way to get at lots of insurance coverage.