Crashes involve uninsured drivers increase
Year Uninsured drivers
2009 12,579
2010 11,532
2011 48,0914
2012 58,3524
2013 89,9454
Source: Ohio Department of Public Safety
Crashes involving uninsured drivers in Ohio have increased seven fold in the last five years, state data shows.
In 2009, 12,579 drivers were found to not have insurance at a crash scene. Last year, that number jumped to 89,945, according to statistics from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Jacquelin Jackson of Dayton learned the hard way about the potential out-of-pocket costs when she was involved in a wreck with an uninsured driver.
“I tried to be nice to the young guy. He begged me not to call the police, and told me he would pay. I never got a dime from him,” Jackson said.
The Insurance Research Council estimated 1.3 million Ohio motorists were driving without insurance in 2012, the fourth-most in the United States. The council’s research showed medical claims tied to uninsured drivers was $76.8 million in 2012, the most recent data available.
Nationally, the claims tied to uninsured drivers was $2.6 billion in 2012, a 75 percent increase over the past 10 years, according to the council.
Ohio law requires motorists to purchase auto insurance, or provide proof of financial responsibility. In its role to seek compliance, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles sends letters to 280,000 people annually chosen at random seeking proof of insurance coverage. In 2013, the BMV cited 32,224 people for not providing proof.
Motorists who get in an accident with an uninsured driver can find themselves on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical expenses and repair costs, regardless of who’s at fault. Dan Cox of Dayton said his father ended up taking the hit for thousands of dollars in damages from a recent crash with an uninsured driver.
“He had to pay for it out of pocket,” Cox said.
Ohio’s minimums for insurance — the lowest in the nation just two years ago — were increased in 2012. Motorists must have minimums of $25,000 for injury or death involving one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage.
The Ohio Insurance Institute recommends that drivers buy uninsured/underinsured coverage on their auto insurance policy. Underinsured motorists coverage fills the gap if an at-fault driver’s policy limits are not adequate to cover damages.
“UM/UIM coverage protects drivers from uninsured drivers and in cases of hit-and-run or when the at-fault party carries lower limits of coverage. It’s widely available and affordable. The cost of UM/UIM coverage is $40-50 annually based on the level of coverage selected and insurance carrier,” said Mary Bonelli with the Ohio Insurance Institute.
Having the underinsured coverage doesn’t always mean motorists will have get everything covered. Kimberly Sterling of Carlisle had underinsured coverage on her policy when she was involved in a crash with a driver who had state minimum coverage.
“Unfortunately, in this case, my underinsured motorist coverage did not want to pay out. This is going to affect me for the rest of my life; something that wasn’t my fault, and then to have my insurance say ‘we are sorry,’ it shouldn’t happen,” Sterling said.
Sterling’s ankle was broken in the crash. She said doctors were talking about a possible amputation. Her medical bills racked up, one medical provider sued her, and she had to close her business.
She decided to sue her insurance company to get benefits.
“You pay premiums for the insurance and they act like you are against them. I don’t want to dissuade people from having UM/UIM motorist benefits just because the insurance companies don’t always treat you fairly. You need to have the benefits,” said Sterling’s attorney John Smalley with Dyer, Garofalo, Mann, and Schultz.
Despite the litigation, Sterling was glad to have the coverage.
“It’s a shame that it took this to get mine to work the way it should, but I would never not have underinsured coverage. Without it, we would be in the poor house, literally, we would have lost everything,” Sterling said.
About the Author