Underinsured motorist coverage is called upon more frequently than uninsured coverage when the injuries suffered in an auto accident are more serious. Let’s say a driver causes a serious injury that requires a substantial amount of costly medical treatment. Phoenix personal injury lawyers have seen first-hand how medical costs can be so great in some cases that the at-fault party’s insurance does not even cover the hospital bills. And if the policy cannot even cover those expenses, it is unlikely to sufficiently reimburse past and future lost wages, rehabilitation, or other expenses that are allowed by law. In these cases, uninsured motorist coverage claims are made.
An uninsured motorist claim allows an injured motorist to turn to her own insurance policy (or a family member or other loved one’s policy, which may also cover the motorist even if she did not pay for the policy herself) to defray medical expenses, pain, frustration, and all the lost wages and other losses left over when the other driver’s insurance policy limit has been reached. So if the person at fault had a $100,000 insurance policy and the injured party incurs $80,000 in medical bills, the injury victim’s medical bills alone nearly exhaust the entire policy. If the claim includes damages for pain and suffering or ongoing rehabilitation costs, the person who caused the accident does not have enough insurance to cover the entire claim.
In this case, the injured party would be very interested to find out that she has taken out an underinsured motorist coverage policy. If her policy provides an extra payment in this circumstance, she could claim the money that should have been otherwise paid out by the at-fault driver’s insurance, had it been sufficient.
To learn more about what role underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage may play in your auto accident case, please feel free to contact the experienced Peoria car accident lawyers at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. We have assisted many injury victims in obtaining the compensation that they deserve for their injuries sustained in accidents with uninsured and/or underinsured motorists.
