UNINSURED MOTORIST ACCIDENT CLAIMS

 

MANDATORY AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT IN CALIFORNIA

The State of California requires that drivers and vehicle owners carry the following minimum liability and property damage insurance coverage limits:

  • $15,000 for injury or death of 1 person per accident.
  • $30,000 for injury or death of 2 or more persons per accident.
  • $5,000 for any property damage per accident.


UNINSURED MOTORISTS IN CALIFORNIA

Despite this law, there are a lot of people in California who choose to drive without any auto liability insurance at all.  In fact, the most recent study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) puts California number one in the nation with the most uninsured motorists: 4.1 million.  According to the IRC, 1 out of every 7 drivers in California has no insurance, which means that there is a 14% chance that if you are involved in a car accident the motorist who is at fault has no insurance.

In addition to those motorists who choose to drive without any auto liability insurance at all, there are 2 other kinds of vehicles that are considered to be uninsured:

  • Vehicles used in hit-and-run accidents, where the other driver’s identity is unknown.
  • Stolen vehicles.

 

UNINSURED MOTORIST ACCIDENTS

Serious car accidents happen all around us.  You may have been in one.  You may know others that have been in one.  You may have witnessed one.  You have seen or read about them in the local news.  There is a very strong possibility that at least one of those car accidents was caused by an uninsured motorist.

Uninsured motorist accidents give rise to a very serious question: if you are injured and your car is damaged by an uninsured motorist who is at fault, how are you going to get the compensation you deserve and to which you are legally entitled for your injuries and car damage?

 

UNINSURED MOTORIST INSURANCE COVERAGE

California law requires every insurance company to include uninsured motorist coverage with every automobile insurance policy sold in California unless the insurance applicant explicitly declines it in writing.

Uninsured motorist coverage allows a person to make a claim with his or her own insurance company and get compensated, up to the limits of the coverage, for bodily injury, loss of income, out of pocket expenses such as home care, pain and suffering, and car damage.  In the horrible situation where an uninsured motorist causes a fatality, uninsured motorist coverage allows the insured’s heirs or legal representatives to recover benefits for the insured’s wrongful death.

In addition to the insured, uninsured motorist coverage also covers the following individuals:

  • The insured’s spouse.
  • Relatives of either the insured or the insured’s spouse who reside in the same household.
  • The insured’s heirs or legal representatives (as noted above).
  •  Any other person while (1) in, (2) entering or (3) exiting from an insured motor vehicle.
  • Pedestrians struck by an uninsured motorist.
  • Bicyclists struck by an uninsured motorist.

 

UNINSURED MOTORIST ACCIDENT LAWYER

Presenting a claim to an insurance company for an accident caused by an uninsured motorist can be difficult and frustrating to those who have no experience in dealing with insurance adjusters.

 

Fortunately no legal situation arising from a car accident is too difficult or complicated for the Maidenberg Law Group.  We will look for ways that you might obtain compensation after an accident caused by an uninsured motorist.  We have represented and obtained compensation for many individuals who suffered injuries arising from accidents caused by uninsured motorists.  Contact the Maidenberg Law Group today at (510) 444-3330 or (888) 520-9617 for a free consultation to discuss your situation.