If you can afford it, pay a little bit extra to get a lot of extra protection regarding car insurance.

My Husband was rear ended in a car accident this week. At the scene, the at-fault driver presented an insurance card showing coverage through May. We thought everything would work out fine.As the week progressed, however, our insurance agent updated us on the truth behind the other driver. As it turns out, he was arrested after we left the scene. He had a warrant out for his arrest regarding a previous hit and run, he was driving on a suspended license, and the car wasn’t his. The car belonged to his girlfriend, who had let the insurance lapse. We had been hit by an uninsured motorist. Our car was totaled and my Husband was accruing medical bills. For a few anxious moments, we thought we were looking at huge out of pocket expenses with little chance for reimbursement, given the character of the other driver and the fact that he was currently in jail.Thankfully, we pay an extra $11.10 every 6 months as part of our insurance premium for uninsured motorist coverage. By opting into this additional coverage, we saved ourselves from the stress and impossibility of suing the other driver personally to be reimbursed for our damages. Instead, our insurance will write us a check for our totaled car and pay our medical bills, and they will be the ones suing the other driver, not us.All for an extra $23 a year.EDIT: I’m being told that this reads like an ad, but I guarantee it isn’t. I am a writer by profession, which might explain the tone of my narrative. Plus, this happened on Tuesday so it is all still very emotional and fresh in my mind. I’m very happy that this post has motivated people to learn more about their own policies and insurance coverage.EDIT 2: Our cars are insured in Oregon, so those are the state laws / minimums that apply to our situation.EDIT 3: Also make sure your car seats are properly installed, and if a car seat is in the car when you’re in an accident, know that you most likely need to replace it! Car seats lose their effectiveness after a collision. We included our car seat in our claim and we will be reimbursed for a new one. via /r/personalfinance http://ift.tt/2DwfS4X