Is There Really Such a Thing as Full Coverage?
Why 'full coverage' doesn't exist in Georgia and how uninsured motorist coverage protects you when the at-fault driver has none.
You bought a policy, the agent told you that you were covered, and you have been telling yourself ever since that you have “full coverage.” Then someone runs a red light, wrecks your car, and hurts your back — and you find out what your policy actually says. That is the moment most people learn the phrase they have been relying on for years does not mean anything at all.
”Full Coverage” Is Not a Real Thing
There is no such thing as full coverage. It is not a product you can buy, it is not a line item on your declarations page, and no insurance company will define it for you if you ask. It is a phrase people use as shorthand for “I paid my premium and I assume I’m protected.” Those are two very different things.
What you actually have is a list of separate coverages, each with its own limit, and each one either present on your policy or absent from it. When a claim comes in, the adjuster does not look for “full coverage.” They look at exactly which boxes you checked and how much you bought.
The Insurance Industry Has Trained You to Buy Less
The insurance industry has done a fabulous job of conditioning people. You have heard the slogans your whole life. Only pay for what you need. You’re in good hands. We’ll get you the best rates. Every one of those messages nudges you toward the same conclusion: spend less, buy less, keep it lean.
But “only pay for what you need” is a strange promise when you have no way of knowing what you will need. You do not know in advance whether the person who hits you will be insured, sober, or still at the scene when police arrive. What sounds like thrift in a commercial is a gap in your protection when you are the one in the ambulance.
The Coverage Most People Never Think to Ask For
The coverage that matters most in a serious wreck is the one almost nobody requests by name: uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. People do not know to ask for it. They walk in, say they want the cheapest option plus liability to others, and walk out believing they are covered.
Here is the problem with that. Liability coverage pays other people when you cause harm. It does nothing for you when someone else causes your injuries. So imagine you are heading to work and a drunk driver slams into you and they do not carry any insurance. Their carrier is not going to pay, because there is no carrier. The only policy left standing that can help you is your own — and only if you bought uninsured motorist coverage before the crash happened.
That is the cruel timing of insurance. You cannot add coverage after the wreck. The decision was made months or years earlier, at a moment when it felt like an upsell.
The Price Difference Is Smaller Than You Think
Here is what makes this so frustrating to watch as a lawyer. The price difference between the cheapest thing and something that actually protects you is negligible. People decline meaningful protection to save a small amount each month, and then a stranger’s decision to drive drunk turns that savings into a catastrophe. When that happens, you are going to be kicking yourself.
What to Do Before You Ever Need a Lawyer
Pull out your policy this week and look at it, not at what you remember being told. Find out whether uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage appears on it at all. If it does, look at the limits. If it does not, call your agent and ask for it by name, and ask for a quote at higher limits than you think you need.
Then ask what the difference in premium actually is. That single question tends to end the debate on its own.
If you have already been hit and you are not sure what coverage exists — yours or theirs — do not guess and do not take an adjuster’s word for it. Have someone review every policy that could possibly apply to your crash. Sometimes there is more coverage available than the person who was hurt ever realized they had.
Full Transcript
When I’m talking to prospective clients, I educate them and they’ll use words like full coverage. I’m like, hold on a second. Let me help you out. There’s no such thing. Right.
And so the insurance industry has done a fabulous job of conditioning people, you know, progressive only pay for what you need. Bitch, I need all of it. What do you mean? You know, you’re in good hands with Allstate and, you know, we’ll get you the best rates. No, they’re selling you a bag of crap.
You know, you know, this uninsured, underinsured motorist coverage. People don’t know to ask for that. Right. I’m just going to get the cheapest thing and liability to others. OK, but what happens when, you know, you’re going to work and a drunk driver slams into you and they don’t have any insurance?
Now you’re going to be kicking yourself because the price difference between the cheapest thing and something that actually protects you is negligible. You’re going to be kicking yourself because the price difference between the cheapest thing and something that actually protects you is negligible.