11. Q. How can I protect myself and my family if we are sued?

A. A standard policy provides liability insurance with minimum limits of $15,000 per person/ $30,000 per accident if you or your family are sued; however you may purchase additional coverage to protect your assets.

12. Q. How can I protect myself and my family if we are injured by a careless driver who is uninsured or unidentified?

A. A standard policy automatically provides coverage for injuries caused by an uninsured or hit -and-run driver in the amount of $15,000 per person/ $30,000 per accident; however, you may purchase additional coverage up to the amount of your liability coverage.

13. Q. How can I protect myself and my family if we are injured by a careless driver who is insured but does not have adequate coverage?

A. The amount of your recovery from a careless driver may be limited by the amount of liability insurance purchased by that driver and by the owner of the vehicle; however, if you purchase a standard policy, you can purchase underinsured motorist coverage up to the amount of your liability coverage.

14. Q. How much coverage do you recommend?

A. Most people feel that the  minimum limits of $15,000 per person/ $30,000 per accident are inadequate. Many people purchase additional coverage up to $100,000/300,000 or $250,000/500,000. We recommend that you purchase liability coverage with single limits of $500,000 or the highest limits that you can afford. In addition, you should purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage with the same limits as your  liability coverage.

15. Q. How do I choose the type of automobile insurance coverage that I want for myself and my family?

A. When you purchase or renew your policy, you will be provided with a coverage selection form. We recommend that you make the following selections:

Standard policy - Yes
Basic policy - No

No limitation on lawsuit option - Yes
Limitation on lawsuit option - No

PIP medical expenses $250,000 - Yes
PIP medical expenses $15,000/50,000/75,000/150,000 - No

Uninsured/Underinsured - Yes, with same limits as liability coverage.

If you do not sign the coverage selection form, you will be assigned a standard policy with $250,000 of PIP medical expenses and the lawsuit limitation option.

16. Q. What happens if I do not purchase any automobile insurance?

A. The law requires the owner of every motor vehicle to purchase insurance. If you do not purchase insurance, you will be subject to civil and criminal penalties. In addition if you are injured while operating an uninsured automobile, you will not be permitted to make a claim or file a lawsuit against the careless driver for economic or non economic loss, even if you were not at fault for the accident.

17. Q. Can I purchase other insurance protection in addition to automobile insurance?

A. Yes. You can purchase a personal catastrophe liability umbrella at a reasonable cost that will provide additional coverage if a claim is made against you or any resident family member for injuries sustained by another person anywhere in the world due to the operation of a motor vehicle or for any other reason. In addition, some companies offer umbrella policies that include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU PURCHASE A PERSONAL CATASTROPHE LIABILITY UMBRELLA WITH LIMITS OF $1 MILLION.

AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CHECKLIST

Since March 23, 1999, you will be faced with many new choices when you purchase or renew your automobile insurance policy. The failure to purchase the correct coverage will affect both your ability to receive medical care if you are injured in an automobile accident and your legal rights to receive monetary damages from the careless driver who caused the accident. We strongly recommend that you elect the following coverages to properly protect yourself and your family.

YES NO

X Basic Policy (Absolutely Not)

X Standard Policy

X Liability Coverage (limits of at least $100,000)

X Uninsured Motorist Coverage
(limits of at least $100,000)

X Underinsured Motorist
Coverage (limits of at least $100,000)

X Pip Medical Expense Benefits ($250,000)

X Pip Medical Expense Benefits
(less than $250,000)

X Pre-certification of Medical Treatment

X No Limitation on Lawsuit Option

X Limitation on Lawsuit Option

WARNING: The basic policy provides no liability coverage if someone makes a claim against you and no uninsured motorist coverage if the careless driver who caused the accident has no insurance. If you are sued you will not have any insurance to pay a judgment against you, your insurance company will not assign a lawyer to represent you and you may lose your credit rating and your driver's license. NEVER BUY A BASIC POLICY.

SOURCE: ATLA- NJ We thank the Association of Trial Lawyers of America- NJ for providing this information to motorists in NJ. Please distribute this information to your friends.