FAQ- What happens in an accident if the other driver is uninsured?

>Return to FAQ

Overview

Unfortunately, more people today are driving in California who are uninsured than at any other time. You can protect yourself and your family from the negligence of an uninsured driver by purchasing uninsured motorist coverage (UM coverage). Every insurance carrier offering automobile insurance in California must offer UM coverage. The minimum coverage is $15,000 for the bodily injury or death of any one person in any one accident and $30,000 because of bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident. The insurance carrier must also allow you to purchase additional UM coverage equal to the limits for bodily injury in the underlying policy of insurance. As an example, if you have $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury liability protection, you can purchase up to $100,000/$300,000 coverage in UM coverage

UM coverage not only protects you when an uninsured driver negligently injures you, but it also affords protection for injuries caused by hit and run drivers.

There is an additional benefit to UM coverage and that is underinsured motorist coverage. By law, policies providing UM coverage must also include under-insured motorist coverage. The minimum limits are the same for the UM coverage. Assume a negligent driver injures you and that person has only $15,000 bodily injury liability coverage. What are you going to do if your injuries and damages exceed $15,000? If you had UM coverage greater than $15,000, you could settle with the negligent driver for his $15,000 policy limits, and pursue a claim against your own insurance company up to the limits of your UM coverage. If your insurance carrier does not attempt to promptly and fairly honor your claim, your insurance company may be guilty of Insurance Bad Faith.

UM coverage’s is one of the most beneficial and affordable automobile insurance coverage’s you can purchase. If you do not have UM coverage, get it. If you have minimum coverage, you should consider calling your insurance agent and increasing your limits.

Cheong & Denove has the extensive resources to handle the most complex legal matters, yet is small enough to offer individualized service to our clients.

We believe the more you know, the better choice you will make.