Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is insurance that you carry on your auto insurance policy or umbrella policy. It reimburses you for the costs of your injuries or losses if you are injured by a driver who does not have insurance. This includes hit-and-run accident cases where you don’t know whether or not the driver had insurance.
Sometimes another driver’s insurance policy may not be enough to cover the full cost of your medical bills and other losses. If your injury claim is not fully covered, you can bring a claim against your own insurance company to pay the rest of your medical bills and other losses up to the limit of your own policy.
Although California law requires motorists to carry insurance, a large number of drivers do not. According to a 2008 report by the Insurance Research Council, an industry group, it is estimated that about 18% of California drivers are uninsured [1]. In addition, many other drivers only carry the minimum bodily injury policy limits ($15,000/$30,000) required by California Law.
These “uninsured or underinsured motorists” typically drive older, unreliable, and unsafe cars. In addition, they tend to be less careful than fully insured drivers. If you or a loved one has been injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you may be worried about who will pay the medical bills, whether you will be able to recover lost wages, and if you will be compensated for your pain and suffering. In these uninsured or underinsured cases, the answer to those questions can be found with your own insurance company.
If your or a loved one has been injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is important to contact a San Diego Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer. The North County San Diego Uninsured/Underinsured Attorneys at the Mortlock Law Group accept uninsured and underinsured accident cases on a contingent fee basis, which means you do not have to pay any money up front and nothing if we do not win your case. For a free consultation, please contact the Mortlock Law Group today.