By: About one out of every eight drivers in the United States does not carry auto insurance according to the Insurance Research Council. As a motorist who drives in California, this statistic is alarming because it puts you at additional risk when you venture out. To protect law-abiding drivers, many states including California now require uninsured motorist coverage in care insurance policies to help with costs due to injuries if you are in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
Drivers are also given the option to purchase uninsured motorist property damage that cover damages to your vehicle and to other property caused by uninsured motorists in an accident.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance covers a driver and his or her passengers for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This policy also provides coverage if a person is a victim of a hit-and-run accident as well.
Why You Might Need an Attorney with an Uninsured Motorist Accident
Uninsured motorist property policies and uninsured bodily insurance policies come into play when it is determined that the other driver is at least partially at fault in an accident and either had no insurance or had inadequate insurance. Your insurance company will try to collect from the other driver in a claim against their policy if they have one, but uninsured or underinsured motorists generally do not have many assets, so recovery from them may not be possible. When this happens, a victim’s policy kicks into play.
However, when a driver files a claim under their own policy, they become a third party to their own insurance company. This means a driver will be reimbursed as if they were an outside entity, thus putting them at odds with their insurance provider who may balk at any kind of a large payout.
When this happens, it is critical to contact an attorney who focuses on uninsured or underinsured motorist accident claims to help you effectively reach a settlement that protects you and your family.
Roberts Law Firm serves clients in the California cities of Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim, and Riverside as well as serving clients throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties.