Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
California law requires that all drivers be insured with minimums of $15,000/person and $30,000/accident, as well as a minimum of $5,000 in property damage coverage, and a minimum of $15,000/person and $30,000/accident for uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. Unfortunately, not all drivers on the road obey these laws, which is why the law requires you to carry coverage against uninsured drivers. Your best option to protect yourself about these other irresponsible (and illegal) drivers is by having the maximum coverage that you can afford, but even that will not address all of your issues.
If you have been in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you will likely be dealing with your own insurance company for most, if not all, of the damages that you are attempting to collect. If your damages exceed your policy limit, you will begin to run into issues where your insurance company will not want to pay you what you need. At Bauman Law, we are experienced with these types of situations, and will be happy to help you navigate this complicated and often frustrating process.
Read more below about the general process for collecting damages after an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, and contact us as soon as possible to begin working on your own case. We will be able to discuss the specifics of your accident, the experience that you have already had with your insurance company as well as the responsible driver, and give you an idea of how we would handle your situation if we were to work together.
What To Do After An Accident With an Uninsured Driver
After an accident, one of the most important things to do is to exchange your information with the other drivers involved. One possible penalty of not doing this is being charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, which is guaranteed to cause more problems for you than you already have. However, it may quickly become apparent that the other driver does not have adequate insurance, and it is important that you have the police arrive and file a report in order to support your case.
Do not make any statements to the other driver, the police, or anyone else that may indicate that you were even partially responsible for the accident. Although it may seem strange, even an apology can be used against you as proof that you were the one who caused the accident, or at least that the other person is not fully liable. Therefore, it is important that you remain objective in your conversations with anyone at the scene, and get in contact with an experienced car accident lawyer in California as quickly as possible after in order to ensure that you take all of the necessary steps for the best outcome.
If you have suffered from any injuries in your accident with an uninsured driver, contact your own insurance company as soon as possible in order to determine how they will handle the immediate situation. You will need to seek medical attention in order to ensure that your injuries are properly handled, but you want to make sure that you avoid the unnecessary stress of trying to understand what will happen to you financially.
Contact Us As Soon As Possible
The sooner you contact us to schedule your initial consultation, the sooner you will be able to proceed with your medical treatment and addressing any other issues with confidence and certainty. We will deal directly with your insurance company for you, as well as identify any additional possible steps that we will need to take in order to ensure that you are properly compensated for all of the factors related to the crash.