A Kirkland, WA man, Geoffrey Goddard, was reported driving over 100 mph on I-405 near Bothell, Washington on June 12, 2009.  Goodard smashed his Dodge Dakota pickup into the rear of a Mazda minivan carrying two women and four children.  The force of impact was so great the minivan was thrown across four lanes of traffic onto a dirt median where it flipped over on its roof.  Goddard is suspected of driving drunk.

All six passenger were taken to hospitals with injuries, and two of the children had possible broken bones.  Goddard was also injured and taken to Evegreen Hospital.  When police arrived to question Goddard he ran from the hospital naked.  He left his close and ran out across the parking lot naked.  Are you kidding me, he had to be drunk to think that was a good idea.

As Kirkland Car Accident Attorney who has handled many drunk driver caused car accidents I can tell you these types of crazy stories happen far too often.  Many times the drunk driver has no car insurance or carries the bare minimum coverage of $25,000.  When six people are seriously injured in a 100 mph collision the injury victims are often left paying there own medical bills and any other expenses.

How do you protect yourself and your family from this tragic scenario?  Buy as much Uninsured Motorist (UIM) insurance coverage you can afford.  UIM insurance is the best way to protect yourself and your family from dangerous drunk drivers and other minimally insured drivers.  The UIM coverage in your car insurance policy is designed so it takes the place of the at-fault driver when he/she has no insurance or not enough to cover your medical bills and compensate you fairly for all that you have to go through when seriously injured.  In essence you buy insurance for those who don't or don't buy enough.

You may be wondering how much UIM coverage should you get?  As much as you can afford.  My UIM policy limits are $1,000,000, which is a lot coverage for not a lot of money.  Think about this, driving in your car is probably the most dangerous thing you do almost everyday, and what would happen if you were in a horrible car accident and were not able to work again due to severe injuries.  How much insurance money would you need to replace your income and compensate you for your severe life altering injuries.  One million suddenly doesn't seem like a lot given that picture.  My suggestion is to have at least $500,000 UIM coverage.  This should provide a good cushion if your involved in a catastrophic Washington car accident.

A good place to find a much more detailed look at buying car insurance is our FREE report The Guide To Buying Car Insurance In Washington.

Food for thought!