AUTO COVERAGE CHANGES

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle enacted numerous changes to auto insurance. Here are the adjustments and when they take effect:

Mandatory Insurance – All drivers must carry coverage starting June 1.
Reducing clauses – Consumers can access all the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage they purchase on policies issued or renewed after Nov. 1. Under the current system, Insurance companies can reduce that coverage to reflect the insurance carried by the other driver.
Stacking – Coverage limits will double for each vehicle covered by a two-vehicle policy and triple for policies covering three or more vehicles Nov. 1. It means a policy now insuring two cars at a maximum of $1 million apiece will provide $2 million in coverage on each vehicle.
Limits – Minimum liability insurance limits will increase from $25,000 to $50,000 per person, $50,000 to $100,000 per incident, and $10,000 to $15,000 for property damage Jan. 1. In addition, medical payments coverage will be a minimum of $10,000 Jan. 1. (Customers who refuse medical paymetns coverage must declare that in writing.)
Hit-and-run coverage – As of Nov. 1, uninsured driver coverage will apply to hit-and-run damages when a witness provides evidence of the hit-and-run. Insurers now can deny claims if the victim avoided a collision with the at-fault car but damaged in a resulting collision, even when witnesses testified.
Umbrella policies and uninsured/underinsured coverage – Companies must offer uninsured/underinsured coverage as part of umbrella policies, and customers who refuse the coverage must declare that in writing.

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Governor Jim Doyle (608) 266-1212

State Senator Alan Lasee (1)                        (608) 266-3512
State Rep. Ted Zigmunt (2)                        (608) 266-9870
State Rep. Al Ott (3)                                      (608) 266-5831

State Senator Robert Cowles (2)                  (608) 266-0484
State Rep. Phil Montgomery (4)                  (608) 266-5840
State Rep. Tom Nelson (5)                            (608) 266-2418
State Rep. Gary Tauchen (6)                        (608) 266-3097

State Senator Joseph Leibham (9)            (608) 266-2056
State Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer (25)                  (608) 266-0315
State Rep. Steve Kestell (27)                        (608) 266-8530

State Senator Randy Hopper (18)                 (608) 266-5300
State Rep. Richard Spanbauer (53)             (608) 267-7990
State Rep. Gordon Hintz (54)                       (608) 266-2254

State Senator Michael Ellis (19)                   (608) 266-0718
State Rep. Dean Kaufert (55)                        (608) 266-5719
State Rep. Roger Roth (56)                            (608) 266-7500
State Rep. Penny Bernard Schaber (57)      (608) 266-3070

State Senator Dave Hansen (30)                  (608) 266-5670
State Rep. James Soletski (88)                     (608) 266-0485
State Rep. John Nygren (89)                        (608) 266-2343
State Rep. Karl Van Roy (90)                       (608) 266-0616

Governor Web Page www.wisgov.state.wi.us

State Senate Web Page www.legis.state.wi.us/senhome.htm

State Assembly Web Page www.legis.state.wi.us/asmhome.htm