Uninsured Motorist Insurance
In the United States, it is mandatory that drivers should have an auto insurance policy. You can get various coverages from insurance providers. In each state, it is required that you at least have a minimum limit of liability coverage.
An uninsured motorist clause is a provision listed in auto insurance policies that allows for a driver to receive damages for an injury they received from an uninsured – negligent driver. Whoever owns the policy pays an additional fee to the insurance company to include this clause.
If such an automobile accident should occur (where a driver doesn’t have their own insurance), then the insurance company will pay the difference (between the uninsured driver can afford and what the injured driver would normally be entitled to).
Get Help To Fight the Insurance Companies
Avrek Law has over 50 years experience helping car accident victims receive maximum compensation for injuries they have suffered. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident you can reach us 24/7 by calling 866-598-5548. Get answers to any questions you might have about your case and protect your legal rights.
Why is Auto Insurance Important?
Have you ever thought why motor insurance is mandatory? Many people just insure their cars in order to obey the law and then drive off. Until an accident happens, say a collision or a crash (especially on luxury or expensive trucks or cars), this is when many people appreciate the role of motor vehicle insurance.
These are some of the reasons why motor insurance is important:
- When you take auto insurance, you protect your health and life since in case you are involved in an accident and you have medical bills thereafter, the insurance policy that you took can offset the balance
- You protect your car which is one of the largest investments that you can make. Some policies can allow you to replace your car.
- In case there is a lawsuit relating to the accident, you won’t feel the weight is entirely on you if you have the right insurance coverage.
- Some insurance policies such as the one we will look at in this article – the uninsured or underinsured motor insurance cover can protect you from other road users who don’t have insurance or are underinsured.
- Automobile insurance coverage can pay for weather related incidents and accidents plus theft and vandalism.
- Motor vehicle insurance takes away the certainty and you know that you are protected when you are on the road.
Have you ever thought of what happens when a driver who doesn’t have any liability coverage injures you or hits your car? How do they pay for damages? In such scenarios uninsured or underinsured motor coverage comes in. If you have questions about a car accident you were involved in call us at 866-598-5548.
Who is an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver?
This is a person who has no auto insurance policy. What does this mean? In case you are involved in an accident with a person who is underinsured, this implies that the other driver only has the State’s minimum required limit of liability coverage. In many cases, these insurance is not enough to cover the medical bills for your injuries. If you have questions about a car accident you were involved in contact our automobile accident lawyers.
Types of uninsured motorists
- People who don’t have liability coverage for the vehicle they are operating, which in most states is a crime.
- An individual who flees the scene of an accident without offering adequate information to identify themselves.
- A stolen vehicle is uninsured from the time it was stolen, therefore a person injured by a stolen vehicle might qualify for an uninsured claim
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
This is aimed at assisting you pay your bills in a crash where the other party was uninsured or underinsured.
How Much Uninsured Motorist Insurance coverage Do You Need?
This will depend on the limits that are set. Limits for underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage can range from $20,000 to $1 million. In many cases, people choose a limit that is equal to the bodily injury liability limit. However this is not always the requirement. California has very clear laws about uninsured motorist coverage.
There are some factors that you should consider:
- What is the current market value of your car?
- What medical insurance coverage do you have?
- Does your employer provide short and long term disability coverage to ensure that you don’t lose your wages and earnings in case you are too injured and you can’t be able to work for a given period of time?
- How much risk are you willing to take?
- How will the limits that have been set affect your premium?
What does Uninsured Motorist Insurance Cover?
An uninsured and underinsured motor insurances policy covers body injury that was caused in the accident and in some instances it can cover damage that occurred on your vehicle. Apart from the injuries that occur to the driver, this type of insurance cover may extend to family members or passengers who were in the vehicle or who were driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
However, it is important to note that uninsured and underinsured motor insurance coverage is not available in some states. You should therefore check with your insurance provider to see if this kind of coverage is offered where you live.
Research
According to research done in 2011 by the Insurance Research Council, 1 in 7 drivers in the United States are uninsured.
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, 37,000 deaths are caused annually because of road accidents in the United States. An additional 2.3 million people are injured or disabled. Each year, over 1,600 children who are aged under the age of 15 die because of road accidents. Young drivers aged between the age of 16 – 20 cause accidents and annually kill over 8,000 people.
With these statistics in mind, you should consider taking an uninsured or underinsured motor insurance coverage. Talk to your motor insurance provider if they offer these options and see if they can help.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (or UIM or UM) gives you the much needed peace of mind while you are on the road that you are protected from the unexpected. The downside of lacking uninsured or underinsured motor vehicle coverage is that in case of an accident, you will have to pay for your own medical expenses and also for any car repairs.
This can be significant even if you are riding a motorcycle that is valuable. In this case you can contact our motorcycle accident lawyers 7 days a week for a free consultation. In rare cases a truck driver might not have the proper insurance to drive their truck, in which case you will want to contact our commercial truck accident attorneys.
Contact Your Local Insurance Agent
Uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle insurance may be complex to understand at times and it is best that you talk to a local agent who can explain to you more and let you know the best limits that are being offered, the requirements by your State and additional covers that you may need in order for it to be effective.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1 out of 8 car accidents that occur in the United States are hit and run incidents. In many cases, hit and run accidents mainly cause collision damage but there are times that one may be left injured.
When the other driver escapes, you lose the chance of getting compensation from their insurance company and this is one of the reasons why uninsured and underinsured motor insurance coverage is important.
Example of How The Finances Play Out
If the value of the car you drive is $60,000 and you are hit by a driver whose insurance coverage is up to $30,000 in damages, the difference which is $30,000 will be covered by the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage up to the limits of liability that you agreed to in your policy. In case the driver of the car that hit you has no insurance, the uninsured or underinsured motor insurance policy that you took is the one that is going to cover you – this is good news. For a free consultation with our car accident lawyers feel free to reach us at 866-598-5548.
You should know that uninsured or underinsured insurance coverage doesn’t replace personal injury or collision coverage. It only acts as an important supplement that can protect you from negligent drivers. If you area dealing with personal injury then feel free to use our accident compensation calculator to discover what might lie ahead.
How much is your case worth?
Get a free case evaluation