Mississippi employs a fault-based motor vehicle insurance program. Drivers must have liability insurance coverage that will pay others if they cause a crash that results in property damage or injury to individuals. Anyone caught driving without an active insurance policy faces a $500 fine and possibly the temporary loss of their driver’s license.
Most people expect that insurance will take care of them after a motor vehicle collision, never realizing that there are strict limitations to what insurance will actually cover following a wreck. The protection that you have from the other driver’s policy depends on how much coverage they were willing to pay for when insuring their vehicle.
Drivers with the cheapest possible coverage may leave others with uncovered bills following a crash.
What the state requires me not be enough
The mandatory insurance requirements in Mississippi fall far below the potential costs associated with catastrophic injuries. An amputation, spinal cord injury or brain injury could easily mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, even before you start to consider the effect the injury will have on someone’s earning potential.
Mississippi only requires $25,000 worth of bodily injury liability insurance if a driver causes a crash where one person gets hurt or dies. When a collision affects two or more people, the minimum insurance amount increases to $50,000. However, everyone injured in the crash will have to share that $50,000.
If you are fortunate, the driver at fault for your wreck may have more insurance than what the state requires or you may carry extra coverage. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist protection can help cover additional costs when the driver who hits you has inadequate insurance.
Mississippi personal injury laws also protect you
When insurance doesn’t adequately protect you from the financial consequences of a collision, the Mississippi legal system may be able to help you. Personal injury laws allow those hurt by car crashes to seek financial compensation, while wrongful death statutes allow surviving family members to seek financial compensation for a fatal collision caused by misconduct or negligence.
Knowing your options for compensation can help you defray the costs you have to cover after a motor vehicle collision.
