Uninsured Motorist Insurance
Picture this annoying (yet terrifying) scenario:
You are driving on the freeway here in Northern California when, out of nowhere, a driver cuts across three lanes of traffic into your lane. You can’t pull off an escape maneuver, and so you clip the car, and both of you spiral off the side of the road.Fortunately, you are relatively uninjured. But your car is a mess. And your situation is about to get a lot more complicated. Turns out, the driver who pulled the horrific lane cut and caused the accident lacks insurance.
What do you do in this situation? How can you be made “financially whole”?
If you own uninsured motorist protection (known as “UM”), your insurance company can probably make up the difference between what the driver can pay and what you need. Uninsured motorist coverage is closely related to underinsured motorist protection (“UIM”). These coverages are designed to support you if the at-fault driver lacks adequate (or any) coverage. UIM coverage may come into play if, for instance, a driver hits you and causes not only property damage but also substantial medical injuries, saddling you with a six figure medical bill.
Carolyn Gorman, the Vice President of the Insurance Information Institute, said this of UM/UIM coverage: “you absolutely need this coverage, because, if you get into an accident with someone who is driving without insurance or doesn’t have enough of it, you want to be made financially whole again.”
Often, the quest to compel insurance companies and other parties to treat you decently and play by the rules is not so straightforward. Fortunately, you can turn to the experienced San Francisco personal injury and auto accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Daniel Vega.