Been looking at my car insurance renewal and I'm kinda stuck on whether it's really worth shelling out extra cash for uninsured motorist coverage here in Rhode Island. On one hand, I get it—there's always that risk someone without insurance smacks into you, and then you're stuck footing the bill yourself. But on the other hand, I mean, I've been driving around Providence and Warwick for years now and never had an issue (knock on wood). Feels like I'm just throwing money at something that might never actually happen, you know?
But then again, my buddy Mike got rear-ended last year by someone who took off right after. Dude didn't have insurance, obviously. Mike didn't have the uninsured driver coverage either, so he ended up paying a ton out of pocket to fix his bumper and trunk. He was pretty salty about it for months, kept telling me I should definitely get the coverage. But seriously, how common is that scenario? Is it just bad luck or does this happen more often than I think?
I did some quick googling and saw Rhode Island has a decent chunk of uninsured drivers compared to other states, but still...is the extra monthly premium really justified? I mean, money's tight these days, and every dollar counts.
Curious what everyone here thinks—do you pay extra for this coverage or do you just roll the dice and hope for the best? Would love to hear some real experiences or opinions before I make a decision.
I get why you're hesitating, but honestly, I'd never skip uninsured motorist coverage—especially around Providence. I've seen way too many close calls cruising my classic around here. Sure, it feels like wasted cash until that one unlucky day hits...then you'll wish you'd paid the extra few bucks each month. It's basically cheap peace of mind, especially if your car means anything to you.
Totally agree with you there. I hate paying extra for anything, but uninsured motorist coverage is one of those things that's worth biting the bullet on. Had a buddy last year who got sideswiped near Cranston by someone without insurance—ended up costing him way more than the few bucks a month he saved skipping coverage. It's annoying to pay for something you might never use, but man, when you need it, you're glad it's there...especially with classics where repairs aren't cheap or easy to find.
Yeah, I've seen this happen more times than I'd like. Had a client last summer with a mint-condition '68 Mustang—got rear-ended by someone uninsured near Warwick. Repairs were brutal. Curious if anyone's had luck recovering costs through small claims court in RI...?
