There are countless drivers out there who have no insurance or will flee the scene of a car accident if they collide with you. There are also countless drivers out there who have very little insurance, not enough to cover you and your loved ones if you are injured in a car accident caused by these underinsured drivers. In this video, I’ll tell you how you can protect not only yourself but also your loved ones to ensure you get paid for any injuries you or your loved ones sustained in a car accident caused by an at-fault driver. You may want to hire a Louisville car accident attorney, or at minimum reach out for a free consultation.
The Importance of Underinsured Motorist Coverage
To illustrate this, let me tell you the story of one of my clients. I recently represented a young man, only 18 years of age, when he had his motor vehicle accident. His accident happened when he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a good friend of his. The friend was driving too fast when he went around a curve, lost control of the vehicle, and struck a tree. The friend was clearly at fault for this unfortunate accident.
Severe Consequences and Initial Claim
The accident was severe. My client spent days in the hospital receiving treatment. After signing this client up, I first filed an insurance claim with his friend’s automobile insurance company. At the start of the case, I sent a written letter demanding that the friend’s insurance company pay out its insurance policy limits since the friend was clearly at fault for the accident and liable to pay for my client’s injuries and damages. The insurance company quickly agreed to pay out the insurance policy limits. However, the bad news was that the policy limits were the state-required minimum limits of only $25,000. My client’s case was worth much more than that.
Underinsured Motorist Claim
During the intake of this client’s case to my office, we knew that the client still lived with his parents and that his parents had an automobile insurance policy for the vehicles they owned. These automobile insurance policies contained $100,000 of underinsured motorist coverage. Since my client still lived with his parents, he was eligible to pursue an underinsured motorist claim under his parents’ automobile policy. That’s because in Kentucky, where I practice law, and in other states as well, one is eligible for underinsured motorist benefits from the automobile insurance policy of any relative they live with.
Settlement Outcome
So, after the friend’s insurance company agreed to pay the minimum limits of $25,000, I sent a written demand to the parent’s insurance company demanding that they pay out the $100,000 underinsured motorist policy limits. The parent’s underinsured motorist insurer agreed to pay out the $100,000 policy limits. Thus, my client ended up with a total settlement of $125,000 when you factor in the friend’s driver’s policy limits and the parent’s underinsured motorist insurance coverage.
Key Takeaways
So, what can you take away from all of this? My client would have only gotten a $25,000 settlement if his parents did not have any underinsured motorist coverage. This is why I always tell people that the best way to ensure you and your family are protected after being injured in an automobile accident is to make sure you purchase as much underinsured motorist and uninsured motorist coverage on your automobile insurance policy as you can afford.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist insurance coverage is similar to underinsured motorist coverage. It pays for damages incurred in a car accident in the event the at-fault driver has no insurance or flees the scene of a hit-and-run accident. By purchasing uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your automobile insurance policy, you are not only protecting yourself but also the family members you reside with.
Conclusion
It’s great to purchase uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage to ensure you protect yourself and your family members you live with after a car accident. But that does not ensure you will get a fair and reasonable settlement on your injury case if you have to file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim with your automobile insurance company. Even your own insurance company may try to trick you so that you receive less on your settlement when pursuing your underinsured motorist or uninsured motorist claim. In this video about to pop up here, I’ll tell you common tricks insurance companies use to try to trick you to protect the value of your claim.
Lastly, if you’ve been injured in a car accident in Kentucky, remember: don’t wait, call Tate.
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