In 2010, a driver with multiple car insurance policies was involved in a drunk driving accident in which the other driver was uninsured. Luckily for the injured driver, he was still able to use a 2009 Wisconsin law, which was repealed in 2011, to his benefit.

It was deemed illegal in 2009 for insurance companies to include anti-stacking clauses in their policies. That law was repealed two years later. Stacking allows an insured driver with more than one car to combine multiple uninsured motorist policies to use on one claim. As a result, the injured driver in this specific case was able to use multiple policies for damages caused by the accident.

The victim’s uninsured motorist policies each covered $100,000 per person. However, the driver suffered more than that amount in losses when he was struck by a drunk driver in 2010. Therefore, he stacked his family’s second uninsured motorist policy to receive additional coverage.

As this scenario suggests, drivers involved in serious car accidents may end up having to spend substantial amounts of money to pay for damages and injuries incurred as a result of a drunk driving accident or any other kind of accident involving a negligent driver.

Drivers or family members of drivers who have been involved in a drunk driving accident may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering and medical expenses. An experienced personal injury lawyer may be able to assist, particularly in cases where anti-stacking laws in Wisconsin leave victims unable to deal with the aftermath of an accident caused by an uninsured motorist.

Source: State Bar of Wisconsin, “Injured Driver Gets Benefit of 2009 Anti-Stacking Law, Current Drivers Do Not,” Joe Forward, Jan. 17, 2013