"John Q. Doe" loved his family, 
so why didn't he protect them?

John Q. found himself in a very difficult, heart rendering situation. He and his family were involved in a very serious automobile accident, and everyone was injured. The driver of the other automobile as at fault. John Q. was told by the doctors that the medical bills would exceed $500,000.

The other driver had $250,000 in automobile insurance. Therefore, John Q. knew that he was still lacking $250,000 to pay for his family's medical expenses. But John Q. was not concerned -- last year he told his insurance agent that he wanted "underinsured" coverage. John Q.'s agent sold him $250,000 of underinsurance. Underinsurance, as John Q. knows, is to be paid if the driver of another automobile causes personal injury to him or his family, and that driver does not have adequate insurance (i.e. he is "underinsured").

So John Q. felt at ease. The other driver had $250,000 in insurance, and John Q had $250,000 in underinsured coverage from his own company. Therefore, he believed $500,000 was available to him to pay for all of the very expensive medical bills.

Sadly, John Q. is wrong. In the state of Ohio, an underinsurance carrier has the right to deduct from the money they owe you any money you receive from the driver of the other car. Since the driver of the other car has paid $250,000, John Q. Doe's insurance company has a right to "set off," that is, deduct $250,000 from John Q.'s potential coverage. This leaves John Q. with $0.00, and his underinsurance company owes him no money.

How did this happen? It happened because most people in the state of Ohio do no understand that underinsurance coverage carriers have a right to "set off" (deduct" from the policy they sold you any monies paid to you by the driver of the car that causes injury.
Protect your family before it's too late. Contact your insurance agent, and ask that your uninsured/underinsured motorist policy limits be raised. You will protect your family. Because unlike John Q., you now know the law of Ohio.
                                                                        (note: "John Q. Doe" is a fictitious name)