According to Allstate’s 2013 annual survey, every driver in Anchorage will be involved in a motor vehicle accident every 8.7 years. Allstate Report 2013
The bad news is that our national ranking has been consistently slipping. In 2010, Allstate ranked Anchorage as the 124th safest city to drive in. In 2012, we were 128th. In 2013, we are now 132nd.
The good news is that the odds of being involved in an accident have not increased. Each one of us will be involved in an accident on average every 8.7 years and Anchorage’s relative accident likelihood is 15.3% greater than the national average. It appears that, Anchorage residents have not become worse drivers but the rest of the nation has become better drivers.
The really bad news is that our insurance rates are bound to go up, especially if you are insured by Allstate.
It is a good time to reevaluate whether your motor vehicle insurance is adequate. Alaska law requires you to carry a minimum of 50/100 bodily injury liability insurance. If you have the resources to purchase higher liability limits, you should do so. In the event that you cause an accident where the damages exceed $50,000 per person, then you will be responsible for paying the amount of any judgment obtained against you over $50,000. $50,000 is no longer adequate to pay for the most common injuries caused in motor vehicle accidents.
By the same token, if you have the resources you should carry both medical payments benefits and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. The minimum medical payments benefit available is $5,000, which these days may cover one visit to the emergency room, depending on the nature of the injury and treatment. After the ER visit, you’ll be on your own paying for medical treatment unless you have increased medical payments benefits which pays 100% of your bills, not 70-80% as some health insurance companies pay.
The purpose of uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage is to pay you for your damages in the event that the at-fault driver is not insured, does not have enough insurance or you are involved in a hit and run. Again, $50,000 coverage is inadequate. If you have the resources, you should select as much uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage as you can afford.
For more information, see: http://www.keenanpowell.com/faq-wc.html.
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