written by D. Aaron Brock.
If You Drive In California, This Is A Must Read…
Imagine you are in an automobile accident in California. Let’s say you were rear-ended while stopped at an intersection on your way to work. The other driver was completely at fault. As a result of the accident, you were injured and incurred medical expenses, and you also lost wages from the days that you couldn’t work.
Most people think that the adverse driver’s insurance company will pay you for all of the medical costs and lost wages you suffered. After all, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Most of the time, you will only recover the amount of insurance the other driver happened to have purchased. Since California only requires drivers to purchase $15,000 of liability insurance, often times many individuals are left with a very limited amount of money to recover. Frequently, this amount does not even come close to compensate them for all they have lost.
Luckily, California drivers can purchase uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance. This insurance coverage steps in to pay you the difference between what you received and what you would have been entitled to recover had the other driver kept adequate car insurance. Because so many drivers in California are underinsured, or completely uninsured, it is absolutely essential that all drivers have uninsured motorist coverage. The coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to the liability coverage you are required to purchase, and it gives you peace of mind that should you be involved in an accident, you will be made whole for all of the damages you suffered.
A couple of important things to know about Uninsured motorist coverage:
– You can purchase the coverage from the same insurance company that you already have for your liability coverage.
– It will only provide you with coverage if you were not at fault for the accident.
– You do not have to be driving a vehicle for uninsured motorist insurance to cover your injury. You will be covered if you were injured by an uninsured vehicle while walking or riding a bike. You just have to be physically touched by the uninsured vehicle.
– You must file a police report if you cannot locate the adverse driver.
– A claim must be filed with your insurance company within two years.
– Uninsured motorist claims can be complex, so it is important that you hire an experienced attorney to help you through the process.
JML Law specializes in personal injury and car accident actions. If you have been in an accident and would like to discuss your potential claims, please do not hesitate to contact our office to set up a free consultation.
