With high unemployment rates come high numbers of uninsured or underinsured drivers. This is making driving your car an even more financially risky venture. Do you have Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) insurance on your car insurance policy?

If you are in an accident with an Uninsured or Underinsured driver, you remain financially vulnerable. Typically, these drivers do not have coverage because they do not have assets, which makes it especially difficult and often inefficient to pursue collecting of damages for the accident. The best way to ensure you are protected  against such an event is to ensure you have the proper coverage on your car insurance policy.

Uninsured Motorist Insurance covers medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages for you or your passengers in accidents caused by uninsured drivers or hit-and-run accidents. Underinsured Motorist Insurance covers essentially the same thing, but for accidents caused by drivers whose car insurance limits aren't high enough to cover the damages they caused.

In some states, if you don't already have Collision insurance coverage for your car, you can get Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Insurance (UMPD), which covers damage to your car caused by uninsured motorists.

Talk to your car insurance agent and find out what you're covered for, or get a car insurance quote. In an economic crunch, don't let your car and your finances get stuck between an uninsured motorist and a hard place.