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Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens in an
Accident if the Other Driver is Uninsured?
Unfortunately, more
people today are driving in California who are uninsured than at any
other
time. You can protect yourself and your family from the
Negligence
of an uninsured driver by purchasing uninsured motorist coverage
(UM coverage). Every insurance carrier offering automobile insurance
in California must offer UM coverage. The minimum coverage is
$15,000 for the bodily injury or death of any one person in any one
accident and $30,000 because of bodily injury or death of two or
more persons in any one accident. The insurance carrier must also
allow you to purchase additional UM coverage equal to the limits for
bodily injury in the underlying policy of insurance. As an example,
if you have $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury liability protection,
you can purchase up to $100,000/$300,000 coverage in UM coverage.
UM coverage not only
protects you when an uninsured driver negligently injures you, but
it also affords protection for injuries caused by hit and run
drivers.
There is an
additional benefit to UM coverage and that is underinsured motorist
coverage. By law, policies providing UM coverage must also include
under-insured motorist coverage. The minimum limits are the same for
the UM coverage. Assume a negligent driver injures you and that
person has only $15,000 bodily injury liability coverage. What are
you going to do if your injuries and damages exceed $15,000? If you
had UM coverage greater than $15,000, you could settle with the
negligent driver for his $15,000 policy limits, and pursue a claim
against your own insurance company up to the limits of your UM
coverage. If your insurance carrier does not attempt to promptly and
fairly honor your claim, your insurance company may be guilty of
insurance bad faith.
UM coverage is one of
the most beneficial and affordable automobile insurance coverage's
you can purchase. If you do not have UM coverage, get it. If you
have minimum coverage, you should consider calling your insurance
agent and increasing your limits.
Cheong, Denove, Rowell & Bennett
has the extensive resources to handle the most
complex legal matters, yet is small enough to offer
individualized service to our client's
personal injury and wrongful death cases as a result of motor
vehicle accidents.
At
Cheong, Denove, Rowell & Bennett, we believe the more
you know, the better choice you will make.
The information you
obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
This web site is designed for general information only. The
information presented at this site should not be construed to be
formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client
relationship.
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