Every month, I talk to someone who was injured by a driver who either carried no insurance or not enough insurance.
Often, my clients have not adequately protected themselves by carrying at least $100,000 (or more) in Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage.
If you get hit and injured by someone with no insurance, you can recover up to $100,000 (or more if choosing higher limits) in medical bills, wage loss, and pain and suffering from your own insurance carrier.
If the person who hits you has some insurance, says the state minimum of $15,000, but you break your leg and have surgery, you can claim for all your damages above $15,000 from your own carrier. This is called an Underinsured Motorist claim (UIM.)
Why California Motorists Chose Uninsured Motorist Coverage
There are two other factors that make UIM coverage great:
- It’s cheap. About $50 a year buys $500,000 in coverage. Also, if you make a claim for an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, your rates won’t go up, since you weren’t at fault.
- You resolve any disputes over the value of the claim with your UM carrier in binding arbitration, meaning you don’t have to go through a jury trial. The arbitration usually takes a day or less to complete.
Contact a California Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been hit by an uninsured person or have questions about uninsured motorist coverage in the state of California, the Law Office of Chuck Geerhart is here to help.
Contact us online or call (415) 577-4992 today to schedule a free consultation.