Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Car Accident Attorney

Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents happen more often than one would like. Knowing that you and the other party involved in the accident have car insurance makes the situation slightly more tolerable, knowing that property damage may be covered at no cost to you and medical expenses for any physical harm may be covered as well. There are, unfortunately, some cases where involved parties do not have motor vehicle insurance. Sometimes, even if they do, it is not enough to cover damages incurred in the accident. Or if there is a hit and run accident and there is no way to identify the involved vehicle, and therefore you cannot use the responsible parties insurance. In the event that these “worse case scenarios” happen to you or someone you know, it is important to know and understand what options are available to you.

There are two types of coverages available to consumers, uninsured motorist coverage, and underinsured motorists coverage. It is much more to understand about the two but they are basically explained in their own terms. Uninsured motorist coverage is used when a party does not have insurance. While underinsured motorist coverage covers an individual when there is not enough insurance in the policy.

As it pertains to uninsured motorist coverage, if there is a car accident and the other party has no insurance your insurance company will cover the damages caused by the accident. This form of coverage is not automatically included in your policy, but it is a perfect cushion for “just in case” situations. If the other party is at fault for the damages, having uninsured motorist coverages will protect you. Every car insurance company should offer uninsured motorist coverage, but it is not required nationwide. Therefore, it is possible that you may need it one day and have refused coverage to save money. Not having uninsured coverage can backfire when other parties do not insure their cars, so it is safe to have it just in case.

The same applies for underinsured motorist coverage. Having this coverage protects you should the at fault party’s policy limits are not enough to cover damages that arose from the motor vehicle accident. Having underinsured motorist coverage will protect you and cover the difference as it pertains to your loss, once the other party’s policy is maxed out.

It is important to note that an underinsured or uninsured motorist claim must be filed as soon as you learn the other party is not insured or underinsured with a car accident attorney so that you are fully covered while in the process of recovery.