If you are a motorist, then you might be familiar with the term underinsured motorist coverage. This is a form of insurance coverage that covers you in case you get into an accident with an underinsured motorist.
So what does that mean?
An underinsured motorist is a motorist whose insurance coverage is not enough to cover your expenses in case he or she is involved in an accident with you. Imagine being involved in an accident with someone and there are some damages involved. These damages could either be bodily damages or property damages. Being underinsured means that the person has some insurance coverage but it is not enough to cover all the resulting expenses.
What exactly is covered?
Having an underinsured cover keeps you covered against the expenses resulting from such an accident. It comes in two forms. One is the bodily injury coverage and the other is property coverage. The bodily injury policy covers your medical expenses in case the other driver’s insurance is not enough to cover you. The property policy covers the damages caused that the other driver cannot cover.
Making a claim
When you get into an accident with an underinsured motorist, it could be hard to determine whether to make an underinsured motorist claim. This is because at the scene, you are not able to determine how much your bodily injury expenses or property damages will cost. It can also take some time to determine whether the at-fault driver is underinsured or not.
However, if the at-fault driver only has the minimum insurance requirements, then you can automatically know he/she is underinsured. This is when you can make a claim. Like any personal injury lawyer would tell you, the moment you discover that the at-fault driver is uninsured, you should make your insurance claim.
You should speed up the process of knowing whether to make an underinsured motorist claim. This is mainly because most insurance companies have a limited window on making such claims. Most insurers will require you to make the claim 30 days from the day of the accident. As such, call your insurance company and start the claim process ASAP.
Get a personal injury lawyer
The best way to carry out this process is to get a personal injury attorney. They may cost some money but it is well worth it. A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who is experienced in dealing with cases related to accidents caused by negligence by another party. One of these accidents includes an accident with an uninsured motorist who is at fault. The lawyer helps you to go about the case to the point where justice is served and you get what you deserve. They can also help you decide if you have a valid case or not.
After you make a claim, an investigation has to be done. The best personal injury lawyer can help you through this process. It is made to make sure that your claim is real and not a fraud. An investigation is made to determine the extent of your bodily injuries and all the property damages. It is then compared to the at-fault driver’s insurance to make sure they are actually underinsured.
How much your case is worth?
Well, it takes time to know how much compensation you will get from the case. A lawyer who guarantees a certain amount is probably lying to you because there is no sure way of knowing the outcome. It is only after the full investigation is done and the sum is calculated that you can know what settlement you will get. A legit lawyer doesn’t make unrealistic promises to make you happy.
Paying a lawyer on a “contingent fee”
You might have heard about the term contingent fee when hiring a lawyer. What this means is that the lawyer only needs you to pay them when you win the case. The contingent fee is a percentage of the settlement that the lawyer helps you to get in court after winning the case.
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