UIM Claims

Hit by an Uninsured Motorist? A Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

Every state requires drivers to carry auto insurance, but even so, some drivers choose to not pay for adequate auto insurance and just hope they do not get into an accident. Unfortunately, when those drivers cause accidents, their lack of enough, or any, insurance coverage can have severe financial consequences for other crash victims.

If you suffer injuries in a car accident, and the at-fault driver did not have insurance or did not have enough insurance, it could leave you paying out of pocket for your medical expenses and other costs of the crash.

In that situation, working with an experienced uninsured motorist car accident lawyer can give you options.

Overview of Auto Insurance Requirements

Most states require motorists to carry auto insurance. The types of coverage drivers must carry vary depending on the laws of the state where they register their vehicles. Common insurance requirements include the following types of coverage.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

PIP (sometimes called no-fault) coverage protects a driver and her passengers against costs of injuries and disabilities they suffer in a motor vehicle accident, regardless of who causes the accident. In states that require drivers to carry PIP insurance, this coverage serves as the primary source of compensation for injuries suffered in a crash.

Physical Injury Liability

Physical injury liability coverage protects the policyholder from the costs of legal liability for causing injuries to someone else in a crash.

Property Damage Liability

Just like with physical liability coverage, property damage coverage applies when an at fault driver causes damage to another vehicle. This coverage will not apply to the at fault driver’s vehicle.

Uninsured Versus Underinsured

When you suffer injuries in a car accident, the last thing you want to think about is how you will pay your bills. Your sole focus should be on your physical well being and your recovery. You want nothing more than to get back to your regular life.

Unfortunately for some car accident victims, the driver who caused their injuries may not have carried any insurance at all or not carried enough. When that happens, you deserve a skilled car accident lawyer at your side helping you collect maximum compensation from the at fault driver so you do not have to pay a penny out of your own pocket for your injuries.

Understanding the difference between an uninsured driver and an underinsured driver can help you get a clear picture of what comes next. The main difference is whether the negligent driver in your accident had any insurance coverage at all. If they did not have any coverage, then they are uninsured and subject to fines and penalties from the state.

If your accident was caused by someone whose insurance does not cover all of your needs, then they are underinsured. Your car accident injury lawyer can help you determine the best course of action depending on the insurance status of the driver who caused your accident and injuries.

Common Car Accident Injuries and Costs

Car accident injuries can range from minor bruises to life-threatening. Even the most minor car accident injuries can result in serious medical bills so do not discount a minor injury as not being expensive.

The most common car accident injuries include:

• Cuts
• Bruises
• Whiplash
• Neck and back injuries
• Concussions
• Other traumatic brain injuries
• Broken bones
• Internal bleeding
• Amputation
• Paralysis

Each of these injuries not only comes with extreme pain, even the most minor injuries, but they may also require medical attention. Even a quick visit at the accident scene from emergency medical personnel could run up hundreds or thousands of dollars in medical bills. That is not a burden you need to carry. That cost should be the sole responsibility of the person who caused your accident.

Even if the at fault driver is uninsured, you may still sue them for your injuries.

Your lawyer may try to get you compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost wages
• Lost earning potential
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Present and future medical bills
• Rehabilitation costs

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may face astronomical medical bills. You may also be out of work and not have a way to pay all those bills you see piling up on your kitchen table. But those bills should not be your concern. That should be the sole concern of the at fault driver in your car accident. Your lawyer can help show the other driver is at fault and therefore, liable for your medical bills and your financial losses. You did not cause this accident so you should not bear any responsibility for your medical expenses and other financial losses.

Your car accident injury attorney can help guide you through the complex car accident claims process. This gives you the chance to focus all of your effort and energy on your health and well being. While you work to get better, your lawyer works to collect maximum compensation so you do not pay a dime out of your own pocket.

Your Uninsured Coverage

Your insurance may cover you in the instance if the driver who hit you did not have insurance. If your policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, then you might have to use your own insurance to cover some of your medical bills.

When you have uninsured motorist coverage, you are covered under your insurance policy up to your policy limits. You have paid your insurance premiums and now that you need the coverage, you may think your insurance company will quickly step in to help out. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Insurance companies are not quick to pay out claims, even if it’s a claim for you, their insured. That’s why it’s best to work with a trusted car accident injury attorney who can help you get maximum compensation for your uninsured accident injuries.

Settlement Negotiations

When your insurance company learns a negligent uninsured driver injured you, your insurance company may call you and offer you a quick settlement offer.

After your car accident, your only focus is your health and well being. Getting a settlement offer might excite you thinking that you can put this tragic experience behind you. Unfortunately, the insurance company is offering you a quick settlement because it is in their best interest, not yours.

It’s tragic to think that your insurance company, the one you have paid premiums to for many years, is trying to take advantage of your situation. And yet that’s exactly what many insurance companies do. They want you to take the settlement offer without thinking or having a lawyer review it.

If you do sign the initial settlement offer, you may end up paying out of pocket for your medical expenses. Months or years later, when the insurance settlement funds run dry, you may still have medical expenses and financial losses to cover. But it will be too late. When you sign the settlement offer, you waive your right to bring any future claims against the insurance company for this accident.

To avoid this tragic situation, work with an experienced car accident injury attorney today. Your lawyer can help you create an accurate estimate of your future medical needs. This is important to understand the full value of your claim. It’s also important for you to understand that the majority of your financial needs may come in the future.

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may face:

• Multiple surgeries
• Extended hospital stays
• Time out of work
• In facility rehabilitation
• In-home care

While your medical bills pile up, financial losses may also hit you. If your injuries are severe enough, you might not return to work for a long time, or at all. This will greatly hinder your ability to earn a living and provide for yourself and your family.

Because of the loss of your income, your family may even feel pressure to work extra hours or take on additional jobs. This is not their burden to bear. Your lawyer can work with you to help you understand your options. Your lawyer can also stand up to your insurance company and help you collect maximum compensation for your injuries, medical bills, and financial losses. You should not bear the burden of the financial losses you suffer from an accident you did not cause.

Do Not Delay

Your ability to recover maximum compensation for your car accident injuries can depend on when you hire a lawyer. In Florida, you only have four years from the date of your injuries to file a car accident claim for damages. That might seem like a long time but when you think about all of the recovery time you will need, that time will quickly fly by.

Not only that but you also need to take the time necessary to get better. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may not get back on your feet right away. Not only does this hinder your ability to earn a living, but it also weighs on your mental well being. Your lawyer can shoulder some of this burden by filing your car accident claim as soon as possible, meeting this important deadline. If you miss this deadline, you could waive your right to compensation.

Speak With a Car Accident Lawyer Today

When you suffer injuries in a car accident, the last thing you think about is a legal claim. That’s why you need to speak with an experienced car accident injury attorney in Orlando as soon as possible after your accident. Get legal representation on your side so you can put all of your effort and energy into your physical recovery. You owe it to yourself and your family to act quickly.

You need a lawyer with the experience and the resources required to effectively manage your car accident injury claim. Not all lawyers and law firms have the resources you need. Your lawyer should have relationships with medical experts who can help determine how much money you will need to get better. Your lawyer should also have experience standing up to the big insurance companies and successfully recovering the compensation that car accident victims like you need to recover.

You also need a lawyer with trial experience. While most car accident injury claims settle out of court, sometimes insurance companies refuse to settle for a fair and reasonable amount. When that happens, you need a lawyer who has been to trial before and starts preparing the moment they take your case. You do not want your car accident injury trial to be your lawyer’s first.

Even if it is clear that the other driver caused your accident and even if you are working with your own insurance company, you could still face extreme difficulty collecting every dollar you deserve. With the right legal advisor at your side, that may be just a little bit easier.

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident where the at fault driver was uninsured, you need to speak with a trusted and experienced car accident injury attorney today. Contact one today to learn your options for holding the negligent driver liable for your accident and recovering maximum compensation for your injuries, your financial losses, and your pain suffering.