I was told the driver of the vehicle I was involved in an accident with had full coverage. What does that mean?

Full coverage usually refers to liability and property damage auto insurance coverage. However, full coverage is not a straightforward insurance term, and does not always mean the same thing across the board. Full coverage is usually not an indication that the driver was adequately insured. For example, Illinois requires certain minimum insurance amounts (see), but the minimum coverage may not be adequate to cover all of the costs of an auto accident. Sometimes comprehensive coverage is included in the definition of “full coverage,” but may not be mandated by law, like in Illinois. Comprehensive coverage covers physical damage from sources other than auto accidents.

Unfortunately, for a person with serious injuries related to a car accident, a driver with state minimum ‘full coverage’ does little to help with the prospect of getting fair compensation for his or her loss as most recoveries in automobile accidents are limited to a significant degree by the amount of insurance coverage in place at the time of the crash. For example, if you are t-boned in an intersection and break your leg and have surgery you may have medical expenses of $100,000. If the driver who caused your accident simply had the ‘full coverage’ minimum amount of coverage in Illinois, you would only recover $25,000.

Another common problem that comes up in many auto accident cases is that drivers simply ignore the law. Even though Illinois has required drivers to purchase liability insurance for decades, many drivers simply ignore the law or simply fail to keep policies current and up-to-date. With a significant number of drivers on Illinois roads without any insurance (some studies suggest nearly 10% of all drivers) if is crucial that you protect yourself and your family with the purchase of under-insured motorist coverage that exceed the state minimums by a significant amount. For a relatively modest amount, auto insurance coverage can be expanded greatly beyond what Illinois obligates drivers to carry.