Running over someone with your car is a
nightmare scenario that no one wants to experience. However, accidents do
happen, and you need to be prepared for the legal and financial consequences.
In the United States, different states have
different laws and requirements for car insurance, and you need to know what
type of coverage you have and what you need to protect yourself and others in
case of a pedestrian accident. So, so let's talk about this.
Read about: Is It Possible to Buy Car Insurance After an Accident?
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance is the most basic and
common type of car insurance that covers the damages and injuries that you
cause to other people and their property in a car accident. It is required by
law in most states, except for New Hampshire and Virginia, where drivers can
opt out of it by paying a fee or posting a bond.
However, even in these states, it is highly
recommended to have liability insurance, as it can save you from paying out of
pocket for the medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal fees of
the injured pedestrian.
Liability insurance has two components:
bodily injury liability (BIL) and property damage liability (PDL). BIL covers
the medical expenses and other damages of the injured pedestrian, while PDL
covers the repair or replacement costs of their belongings, such as their
clothes, phone, or bike.
The amount of coverage that you have is usually expressed as three numbers, such as 25/50/25. This means that your policy will pay up to $25,000 per person for BIL, up to $50,000 per accident for BIL, and up to $25,000 per accident for PDL.
The minimum amount of liability insurance that you need varies by state, but it is usually not enough to cover the full costs of a serious pedestrian accident.
According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the average economic cost of a
pedestrian injury was $74,000 in 2021, while the average
economic cost of a pedestrian fatality was $1.6 million. Therefore, it is advisable to have higher
limits of liability insurance than the state minimums, or to supplement your
coverage with other types of insurance.
Personal Injury Protection
(PIP) or Medical Payments (MedPay) Insurance
Personal injury protection (PIP) or medical
payments (MedPay) insurance are types of car insurance that cover your own
medical expenses and those of your passengers in a car accident, regardless of
who was at fault.
They can also cover other expenses related to
your injuries, such as lost income, funeral costs, or household services. PIP
and MedPay are optional in most states, but they are mandatory in some states
that follow the no-fault system.
The no-fault system means that each driver’s
own insurance pays for their injuries up to a certain limit, regardless of who
caused the accident. This reduces the number of lawsuits and claims between
drivers and pedestrians.
The difference between PIP and MedPay is that
PIP offers more comprehensive coverage than MedPay, but it also has higher
premiums and deductibles. PIP can cover not only medical expenses, but also
lost income, funeral costs, or household services.
MedPay only covers medical expenses, but it
has lower premiums and deductibles. The amount of coverage that you can get
from PIP or MedPay varies by state and by policy, but it is usually between
$1,000 and $25,000 per person.
Having PIP or MedPay can be beneficial if you
run over someone with your car, as it can help you pay for your own medical
bills if you are injured in the accident. It can also help you avoid being sued
by the injured pedestrian if they have their own PIP or MedPay coverage.
However, PIP or MedPay cannot protect you
from being sued if the pedestrian’s injuries exceed their own coverage limits
or if they live in a state that allows them to sue for pain and suffering or
other non-economic damages.
Uninsured/Underinsured
Motorist (UM/UIM) Insurance
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)
insurance is a type of car insurance that covers your damages and injuries if
you are hit by a driver who does not have any car insurance or who has
insufficient car insurance to cover your losses.
It can also cover your damages and injuries
if you are hit by a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified or located.
UM/UIM insurance is optional in most states, but it is mandatory in some states.
UM/UIM insurance has two components:
uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) and uninsured motorist property damage
(UMPD).
UMBI covers your medical expenses and other
damages if you are injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver, while UMPD
covers your repair or replacement costs if your car is damaged by an uninsured
or underinsured driver.
The amount of coverage that you can get from
UM/UIM insurance varies by state and by policy, but it is usually equal to or
less than your liability insurance limits.
Having UM/UIM insurance can be beneficial if
you run over someone with your car, as it can help you pay for your own damages
and injuries if the pedestrian does not have any car insurance or has
insufficient car insurance to cover your losses.
It can also help you avoid being sued by the
pedestrian if they have their own UM/UIM coverage. However, UM/UIM insurance
cannot protect you from being sued if the pedestrian’s damages and injuries
exceed their own coverage limits or if they live in a state that allows them to
sue for pain and suffering or other non-economic damages.
Collision and
Comprehensive Insurance
Collision and comprehensive insurance are
types of car insurance that cover your own repair or replacement costs if your
car is damaged in a car accident or by other causes, such as fire, theft,
vandalism, or natural disasters. They are optional in most states, but they may
be required by your lender or lessor if you have a loan or lease on your car.
Collision insurance covers your car if it is
damaged in a collision with another vehicle or object, such as a tree, a fence,
or a pedestrian. Comprehensive insurance covers your car if it is damaged by
other causes, such as fire, theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.
The amount of coverage that you can get from
collision and comprehensive insurance depends on the value of your car and the
deductible that you choose. The deductible is the amount of money that you have
to pay out of pocket before your insurance pays for the rest of the claim. The
higher the deductible, the lower the premium.
Having collision and comprehensive insurance
can be beneficial if you run over someone with your car, as it can help you pay
for your own repair or replacement costs if your car is damaged in the
accident. However, collision and comprehensive insurance cannot protect you
from being sued by the pedestrian for their damages and injuries.
Conclusion
By having these types of insurance, you can
reduce the risk of paying out of pocket for the medical bills, lost wages, pain
and suffering, and legal fees of the injured pedestrian or yourself. You can
also reduce the risk of being sued by the pedestrian or their family for their
damages and injuries.
However, no type of insurance can guarantee
that you will not be sued or held liable for a pedestrian accident. Therefore,
it is important to drive safely and responsibly at all times, and to avoid
distractions, impairment, fatigue, speeding, and other reckless behaviors that
can increase the likelihood of running over someone with your car.
