Tennessee Injury Law Center
Despite the eye-popping price of gas, plenty of Americans are still planning on traveling for the Memorial Day weekend. In fact, AAA estimates 39.1 million people will drive at least 50 miles to celebrate the holiday and long weekend. Whether you are headed to the lake, the river, a theme park or just your Aunt Betty’s house for hotdogs and ice cream, here are some important safety reminders before you head out the door.
There are three important things you should do before you leave. First, ensure that your car, truck, SUV or motorcycle is in good working condition. The weather is definitely getting warmer which will affect asphalt temperatures and tire performance. Make sure you have sufficient tread and that your tires are inflated to the proper level. Other items to check are windshield wipers, fluid levels and that all lights (headlights, taillights, turn lights) are working properly. If your brakes are squeaking, grinding or feel spongy, drop into an automotive repair facility and make sure there is not an issue.
After confirming that your vehicle is in good working order, the second thing you should do before you go is to allow yourself enough time to arrive to your destination without being stressed, speeding or engaging in other aggressive or reckless driving. Assume that traffic is going to be heavy. Assume that other drivers are going to drive less than proficiently. Assume that the Buc-ee’s is going to be crawling with people looking to fill up their gas tank, use the restroom and grab a brisket sandwich and some Buc-ee’s nuggets, so you are not going to make as fast of a pit stop as you would like.
The third and final thing you need to do before you leave is to make sure your car insurance is in order. Tennessee is consistently one of the worst states for uninsured drivers. 1 in 5 drivers in our State do not have any insurance. Zero. Many drivers only have the legal minimum level of insurance, which is $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident. This means that, if one of these drivers injures you, the most you can recover from their insurance carrier is $25,000, regardless of how badly you are hurt. Your family can only recover $25,000 from the negligent driver’s insurance carrier even if you are killed. Worse yet, if multiple people are badly hurt, you may not even get the $25,000 because $50,000 is the most the insurance company is required to pay regardless of how many people are hurt.
Of course, if the negligent driver has additional assets, an experienced injury lawyer can help you recover more than just the insurance proceeds. In fact, at the Law Offices of John Day, we are seeing this more often; individuals with substantial assets and yet only the legal minimum of insurance. Whether through ignorance, bad advice from their insurance agent or the hopes that most injury lawyers will take the insurance proceeds and not do the hard work of pursuing the assets, it never ceases to amaze us when this type of situation arises.
However, the sad truth is that most people choose to drive without insurance or to purchase the legal minimum insurance because they can’t afford to do anything else. So how do you protect yourself and your family? Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) is critical especially in this State. UM/UIM insurance protects YOU in the event you are injured by a driver without insurance or without sufficient insurance. It is surprisingly affordable and could mean the difference between being compensated for your injuries or not. So, before you head out for Memorial Day weekend, check your policy and call your agent.
At the Law Offices of Day, we remain grateful to the soldiers and their families on this day of remembrance and every day. And, we hope everyone enjoys a safe holiday weekend.