California motorists are allowed to carry a bare-bones auto-liability policy of $15,000/$30,000, which means their insurance will pay no more than $15,000 for injuries per person and $30,000 per accident. If that’s not frightening enough, California consistently ranks in the top 10 in national surveys in terms of the number of drivers who operate vehicles with no insurance coverage at all.
Some estimates state that one in three California drivers is uninsured or underinsured. Most motorists protect themselves against potentially devastating financial losses by purchasing uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on their own automobile insurance policies. This coverage is designed to compensate you for any loss sustained in an accident that is caused by a driver who is uninsured or inadequately insured.
You are covered in other situations. You do not have to be an automobile driver or passenger in order to be eligible for benefits. Your automobile UM/UIM policy applies even if you were a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist or bystander if the motorist who caused your injuries was uninsured or underinsured. California law requires all insurance providers to include UM/UIM coverage as part of every automobile policy written unless a customer specifically declines it in writing. UM/UIM insurance covers any family member living in the same household as the policyholder, as well as any children regardless if they live with the policyholder or not. Anyone riding in an automobile with a policyholder or anyone who has been given permission to drive the policyholder’s automobile also is covered.
Injuries suffered in an accident can easily escalate over $100,000. Unfortunately, merely carrying UM/UIM injury coverage is not always sufficient protection. Insurance companies are more concerned about their own profits than they are about making policyholders whole.
Your insurance provider may look for loopholes to abdicate its financial responsibility or pay less than you deserve. The lawyers at DeWitt Algorri & Algorri in Pasadena, California, protect your rights when you are injured in an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured motorist. Your financial losses include any medical expenses which you reasonably required as a result of such an incident, any loss of income or earnings, any negative impact on your ability to earn money in the future or any assorted out-of-pocket expenses such as household and related help and assistance.
We have an established track record of going to trial if necessary to recover full compensation for our clients. This helps us recover fair settlement packages without the need for a trial in many cases. If your claim exceeds the limits of your UM/UIM coverage, we will look to your policy’s personal injury protection (PIP). This coverage typically pays for medical expenses, loss of work income and accidental death and funeral expenses no matter who was at fault in the accident.
Many people worry that reporting an accident to their insurance carrier will raise their rates, but this is not the case. If you were not at fault, your insurance company cannot raise your premiums for using your UM/UIM coverage. We offer a free consultation in which our California uninsured motorist claim attorneys can review the facts of your case and recommend the best course of action. Call (626) 568-4000 or email us to schedule an appointment.
