Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Insurance
According to the Insurance Research Council, uninsured drivers cause more than 10 percent of all auto accidents that result in personal injury. Even if the driver has auto insurance, most drivers do not have enough coverage to pay you for serious injuries. Michigan, for example, only requires a driver to carry insurance coverage of $20,000 for one person's injury. Ohio only requires $12,500. As personal injury attorneys we see the issue all too often—there is not enough insurance to cover serious injuries and losses.
If you were injured in an auto accident and have learned that the driver who hit you has no or too little insurance coverage, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t be compensated for your losses. In many cases you can collect damages under your own auto insurance policy’s uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) benefits coverage.
Unfortunately, many insurance companies make it difficult for you to collect on the UM and UIM benefits. You may have bought and paid for coverage for yourself or your family and find yourself without coverage, because you have failed to follow one of the many procedural requirements in the insurance policy. Different policies require different things: a police report filed within 24 hours of the accident, prompt notice to the company, approvals before settling with the at fault driver, short statute of limitations for filing claims, and more. Mess up on one of the required steps and you lose your coverage. An experienced car accident lawyer at Goren, Goren & Harris, P.C. can help you.
How to proceed
The Ohio uninsured/underinsured motorist lawyers at Goren, Goren and Harris want to make sure you get all of the insurance that is available to you. Pursuing this complicated area of law without an experienced attorney is not only emotionally draining, but can lead to you getting less money than you deserve. Working with one of our expert uninsured/underinsured motorist lawyers, you can feel confident that your case will be thoroughly investigated and aggressively pursued.
If you are injured in an auto accident and the responsible driver is uninsured or underinsured, it is best to contact a lawyer right away rather than rely on advice from your insurance company. Our uninsured/underinsured motorist lawyers are standing by to help you during this difficult time. With representation from our skilled team of uninsured motorist accident attorneys, numerous clients have been fully compensated for their losses – just as they would have if the driver did carry proper insurance coverage.
If you feel you may have an uninsured/underinsured motorist case, contact one of our Detroit uninsured/underinsured motorist attorneys today for a free consultation. The uninsured/underinsured motorist lawyers at Goren, Goren and Harris have maintained a proven record of success over the past 40 years. All of our cases are taken on a contingency basis, which means that we don't get paid unless you get paid.
For prompt legal advice, submit a free case evaluation form to us online or call us at (800) 670-0529.
Taking precautions
Having an auto insurance policy that includes coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorist incidents is the best way to ensure that you and your loved ones will be protected in the unfortunate event of an accident. The cost for this type of coverage is usually minimal, and more important than ever considering the large number of uninsured and underinsured drivers on the road. Uninsured insurance protection may also provide benefits when you are injured in a hit-and-run accident. Not all insurance companies offer this coverage, however. Check with your insurance agent to find out whether you have this coverage. Many of our clients have found it to be the most valuable insurance they ever bought.
