What is stacked uninsured motorist coverage? Stacked uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is an option to combine the coverage limits from multiple vehicles to increase the compensation available to you if you’re injured in an accident in a car that you don’t own.
A Look at What it Means to Have Stacked Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Louisiana
In Louisiana, stacked uninsured motorist coverage can increase your available insurance coverage when your losses from a car accident while traveling in a vehicle that’s not yours and caused by another motorist exceed the limits of the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.
Stacking uninsured motorist coverage allows you to combine your UM coverage limits for multiple vehicles on a single policy. As such, stacking may help you cover the losses that you incur if you’re in an accident as a passenger in someone else’s vehicle that is caused by an underinsured motorist.
The team at Galloway Jefcoat Injury Attorneys has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients in auto accident cases and other personal injury cases. We can teach you about uninsured motorist coverage and stacking UM coverage. On top of that, if you want to file an auto collision claim or lawsuit, we’re here to help. Contact us today for more information.
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How Louisiana Regulates Stacked Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Per Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 22 § 1295, car insurance policies are required to have UM coverage equal to bodily injury liability limits unless specifically rejected or selected at lower limits in writing. This prevents stacking UM coverage across multiple policies and limits recovery to three total policies.
Louisiana does have an exception to its anti-stacking laws. With this exception, if you are the passenger in a vehicle that you don’t own and are involved in an accident, you may be able to use both the vehicle owner’s policy and your own UM insurance to cover your losses from the incident.
Based on this exception, Louisiana lets crash victims stack uninsured motorist coverage. Thus, if you are traveling in someone else’s car and are involved in an accident, your stacked uninsured motorist coverage could help you pay for your medical bills and other losses.
What You Need to Know About Intra-Policy Stacking and Inter-Policy Stacking in Louisiana
Louisiana law allows you to stack the UM limits of up to two vehicles (intra-policy stacking). Therefore, if you have two cars on a single auto insurance policy, you may be able to stack the UM limits for these vehicles.
Alternatively, you typically cannot stack UM coverage from multiple different car insurance policies. However, you may have the option of using stacked UM coverage if you are traveling in someone else’s car and an underinsured motorist causes an accident that leaves you with losses.
In this situation, the underinsured motorist’s insurance policy may not be enough to compensate you for the harm that you’ve suffered. Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle that you were in may not have sufficient UM coverage, either. As a result, if you have UM coverage on two vehicles, you may be allowed to use it from one of them to cover your excess losses.
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Pros and Cons of Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Louisiana
If you’re wondering whether uninsured motorist coverage is worth it, consider what can happen if you get into an auto accident in which the other driver doesn’t have adequate insurance coverage. At this point, your UM coverage may allow you to get money for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.
Now, consider how stacking your uninsured motorist coverage goes a step beyond this scenario. If you’re in an auto accident while traveling in another car, and the at-fault motorist doesn’t have enough insurance coverage for your losses, your stacked coverage may help you get the money you need to cover them.
By comparison, if you stack your UM coverage, you may have to pay a higher premium. Yet, given the low liability limits for auto insurance in Louisiana, some motorists don’t have sufficient coverage for all the losses they cause in an accident. Because of this, stacking your UM coverage can give you additional financial protection in the event of an accident.
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Losses That Can Be Covered If You Stack Your Uninsured Motorist Insurance
You could receive compensation for your quantifiable and subjective losses from an auto accident if you have stacked uninsured motorist coverage. Below are some of the economic and non-economic damages that you could recover thanks to this coverage:
- Medical bills
- Loss of income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
Sadly, fatal car accidents sometimes happen. If you lose a family member in a fatal auto accident that occurs while they were traveling in someone else’s car, their stacked UM coverage could provide you with compensation for their burial and funeral expenses and other losses.
How to Take Advantage of Stacked UM Coverage in Louisiana
Contact your auto insurer if you want to stack your uninsured motorist coverage. Your car insurance company may enact this change to your policy within 24 hours of your request. Keep in mind that you may be subject to a higher premium than what you paid previously.
You have the option to add stacked uninsured motorist coverage to your existing car insurance policy or put it into effect if you’re buying auto insurance for the first time. Louisiana’s anti-stacking laws can prohibit how you use your stacked UM coverage.
Of course, if you’re in an auto accident caused by someone else, it may be beneficial to partner with a personal injury lawyer who has experience in cases similar to yours. Regardless of whether you stack your UM coverage, your attorney wants you to get case results that match your expectations.
Learn More About What Stacking Underinsured Motorist Coverage Means
Galloway Jefcoat Injury Attorneys knows how complicated it can be to stack uninsured motorist coverage in Louisiana.
Our lawyers can give you information about stacking UM coverage. Or, if you want legal guidance and support after a car crash where someone else is liable, we can assist. To get started, request a free car accident case consultation.
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