Do I Need a Lawyer for an Uninsured Motorist Claim?

This is a question that most people do not think about until they are victims in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. The laws in California are clear on the need for all drivers to have car insurance, but unfortunately, there are plenty of motorists that fail to obtain coverage. But even those that have auto insurance may have inadequate policy limits, as they only have the minimum liability coverage required by law.

If you or someone in your family was seriously injured in an auto accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver in California, please consult the legal experts of Normandie Law Firm. We know that there are many important questions you need answers to, such as:

• Should I get a lawyer for an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim if I was driving for Uber, Lyft, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Post Mates, etc.?
• What if I was in a hit and run accident? Can a car accident lawyer help me if the other car’s driver did not have insurance?
• How can I hire a lawyer with experience in underinsured or uninsured motorist accident cases?

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Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Coverage in California

According to California law, all drivers must purchase insurance that offers a minimum of $15,000 per injured person, and a maximum of $30,000 for bodily injury when 2 or more people are injured. Furthermore, the liability coverage must include at least $5,000 for property damage from an auto accident.

Considering how much medical treatments cost, not to mention car repairs, it’s fair to say that these limits are low. As a result, there may not be sufficient coverage to pay for all the losses you incur in an accident, and this is why insurance companies in California must offer underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage. The coverage must be offered at the time of purchasing the policy, and you must sign a written waiver to decline these forms of protection.

California insurance providers offer 3 primary types of UM and UIM motorist insurance policies.

• Uninsured motorist bodily insurance coverage for you and passengers in your car when you get into an accident with an uninsured driver.
• Underinsured motorist coverage for injuries caused by a driver with policy limits that are too low to cover the extent of damages you incurred.
• Uninsured motorist property damage coverage that pays up to $3,500 for accidents with an uninsured driver who is identified and responsible for the accident

How Insurance Companies Try to Deny UM and UIM Claims

Insurance adjusters are very skilled at denying UM/UIM claims, so it’s important to understand these tactics if you were involved in a car accident. Examples of methods used by auto insurance companies to deny uninsured motorist cases include:

• Your own insurance company denying that you have UM/UIM coverage without providing you with proof of a written waiver (legally required under California Insurance Code 11580.2)
• Deny that you were the victim of a hit and run and that the accident was due to your own careless or reckless conduct
• Try to argue “comparative fault” in order to reduce the amount you are owed
• Insist that your medical expenses were too high or unnecessary based on your injuries. Also, denying that you are in need of future medical care due to severity of injury and long-term complications
• Attempt to lower the value of non-economic damage like emotional distress and pain and suffering (or refuse to pay them altogether)
• Say that your injuries were the result of a pre-existing medical condition and not the accident

At the end of the day, even your own insurance company is driven by the need to increase profits and reduce the amount they pay out to accident victims. This is why you should never place your trust in their hands, and instead, talk to a car accident attorney as soon as possible.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer can Help You

Seeking help from an attorney is crucial to protecting your rights after an accident with an uninsured driver. A lot of people are eager to put the matter behind them, and insurance companies are very good at exploiting a victim’s confusion and desperation.

We recommend that you avoid giving recorded statements to company reps and insurance adjusters when they reach out to you after an accident. It may seem like these people are trying to help, but in reality, their goal is to find something in your statements that can be used to invalidate your claim or minimize the company’s liability for the accident.

Make sure to avoid signing anything as well until you have consulted a personal injury lawyer. Things that you can be tricked into signing include blanket medical authorizations. Essentially, you are giving the company free rein to search your medical records and find a pre-existing condition or accident. This way, they can blame something else for the harm you suffered and use that to deny payment for your medical bills, car repairs, and other damages.

For more information on how an uninsured motorist claim attorney can help you, contact the offices of Normandie Law Firm.

Zero Fee Guarantee

Many people are reluctant to contact a personal injury lawyer because of the costs associated with legal representation. We take this burden off your shoulders with the Zero Fee Guarantee. That means all of our services are free to you, starting from the initial consultation. We can do this by asking the party you are suing to pay for attorney’s fees and court costs. These payments are included in your settlement, so the only way we get paid is by winning your case, and there is no loss to you whatsoever if we fail to bring you compensation from an uninsured motorist claim.

Please contact us today and learn about your rights and legal options from a car accident lawyer in the Los Angeles area. Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to help you with UIM or underinsured motorist claims from all insurance companies operating in California, such as Allstate, State Farms, Farmers, USAA, and AAA, and Geico. We also have a proven track record of recovery on behalf of independent contractors that work for companies like Amazon, Uber, Grubhub, and DoorDash. So, if you need a lawyer that’s experience in claims with James River and other third party administrators, don’t hesitate to contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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