What You Need to Know About Auto Insurance Claims in Wisconsin

If you live in Kenosha, Wisconsin, you will be charged for damages if you cause a car accident. That’s because the state follows a fault-based system when it comes to recovering financial losses from a crash. Besides medical bills for treatment, you may also have to pay for car repairs, wages the victim(s) lost during their recovery, etc.

The victims can claim damages by opting for one of these three options:
1. By filing a third-party claim with the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
2. By suing the at fault driver in court.
3. By asking their insurance company to recover damages for them from the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier.

Minimum Liability Coverage Your Insurance Company Should Provide

These options can only come into effect if you have auto insurance. As a rule, your insurance carrier should provide the following minimum liability coverage according to the damages incurred from the accident:
– $25,000 – for the death of a person or the injuries they sustained.
– $50,000 – if two or more people died or were injured in the accident.
– $10,000 – to cover property damage.

If you don’t have enough coverage, you will have to pay out-of-pocket to cover damages. However, if your insurance company refuses to cover these, you can dispute their claim by hiring an attorney who specializes in such cases.

Proof of Insurance

If you own a car or any other motor vehicle (except trailers and semi-trailers) in Wisconsin, a law enforcement agency may ask you to show proof of insurance after an accident. If you are not insured, you will have to pay a $500 fine. If you are insured but don’t have proof, you will have to be pay a $10 fine. If you present police with a them with a fake proof of auto insurance, you may be charged with a $5,000 fine.

However, you don’t have to offer proof of insurance when you get your driver’s license or during vehicle registration – unless it is a DMV requirement. You may be asked to do so if your driver’s license is being reinstated after a suspension.

Insurance companies do everything in their power to prevent policyholders from claiming damages, even if it means withholding legal information. This is where a personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of John V. O’Connor can prove invaluable. We have handled several insurance disputes for satisfied clients because we know the tactics these companies use. Get in touch with us in Kenosha, WI, for a free consultation.