ROANOKE, Va. – There’s no question that car insurance can get pretty pricey — but compared to paying out of pocket for an accident, it’s just a drop in the bucket.
For years, drivers in Virginia have been able to get away with paying a $500 uninsured motorist fee if they don’t want insurance — but that’s about to change.
Mark Friedlander is the spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute, and tells us Virginia is one of the last states to make this shift.
“With the new law in effect, you will now have to minimum state liability requirements,” Friedlander said.
Insurance is for worst-case scenarios most of the time, so we went to talk with people who see the aftermaths.
Dennis Holdren is the owner of Hannabass and Rowe Collision Repair in Roanoke. He said they’ve seen customers come in, upset they’ve been hit by an uninsured driver.
“They’re innocent bystanders, they get hit, they got to get their car fixed cause they don’t have no other choice, so they don’t have any other way to go back after it, so the uninsured person is really left free and clear,” Holdren said.
Manager Ben Shortt tells us insurance is crucial for people who can’t afford to foot the bill on car repairs after an accident.
“They’re very expensive. Cars today are very sophisticated compared to what they were back in the 80′s. You’ve got so many electronic devices on these things, just a basic repair now, average repair is $2,000 and beyond,” Shortt said.
Friedlander said this new law is a long time coming, to protect you, and the driver’s around you.
“The more coverage you have, the better protection it will be,” Friedlander said.
And if you don’t have insurance by July 1?
“You could lose your license, you could have your vehicle registration suspended, you could pay significant fines,” Friedlander said.
The minimum liability coverage in Virginia is currently $30,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 in property damage per accident.