Car Insurance Question Marietta Georgia GA

Reader’s Question:

What does ’stacking’ mean in regard to auto insurance in Marietta Georgia?

Gabriel

Marietta, GA

Georgia’s state law allows people who purchase auto insurance to “stack” coverage – or add the coverage together for each insured vehicle – for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

Stacking of UM/UIM coverage are not allowed by most state laws. However, in many states that allow stacking, auto insurers include policy language that prevents policyholders from stacking UM/UIM coverage. So though your state may permit stacking, your policy policy language may expressly forbid it. Contact your Marietta GA agent or insurance company to know the exact terms on your policy language regarding stacking.
In the states where stacking of UM/UIM benefits is not allowed, you may still be able to stack coverage if you’re the driver of a vehicle hit by an uninsured motorist, injured as a passenger in a vehicle or a pedestrian struck by an uninsured driver.

Also, it’s possible for you to collect from your own UM and UIM coverage more than once since the two are treated as separate coverage in many states. For example, if you’re a pedestrian who was hit by an uninsured driver, your UM coverage would kick in first. If your UM coverage is not enough to pay for your injuries, then you could collect from your UIM coverage.

The laws in each state may vary widely with each situation and stacking UM/UIM benefits often depend on previous cases that have been decided in court.

 

Tags: auto insurance