Underinsured Motorist Accidents

The minimum liability insurance required in California affords only $15,000.00 per person and an aggregate of $30,000.00 per accident for injuries claims including any medical expenses, lost income or earnings, diminution in your ability to earn money in the future, or any assorted out-of-pocket expenses such as household and related help and assistance together with the loss of the ability to enjoy or engage in certain activities as a result of injuries, pain and suffering, and other such subjective losses for which you are entitled to monetary compensation.  Approximately 80% of Californians only maintain minimum coverage.

The average cost per day for a hospital admission involving emergency or intensive care from an automobile accident in Los Angeles County is over $10,000.  Almost any serious automobile accident will exhaust the minimum coverage.

Your insurance company is required by law to provide uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of every automobile policy, unless you specifically decline it in writing. Underinsured motorist coverage only applies if the other driver’s liability limits are below your uninsured coverage limits. Thus, if the driver who causes the accident has a liability policy of $30,000 per person, you are not entitled to any uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits if your uninsured motorist coverage is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident. If, however, you’ve got uninsured motorist coverage of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, you’ll receive up to the $70,000 difference from your own company for an injury to a single person, and up to $240,000 additional insurance from your own company if there have been injuries to 3 or more of passengers in your car.

Many, if not most, insurance companies will allow you to buy uninsured motorist benefits in an amount equal to your liability policy. Thus, if you’ve got a $100,000/$300,000 liability policy, you should also be able to buy uninsured motorist benefits for that amount too.  Many insurance companies will automatically issue a policy with only $30,000/$60,000 in uninsured motorist coverage even when you have higher liability limits. If this happens to you, contact your insurance agent immediately and inquire if uninsured motorist coverage can be raised to match your liability policy limit.  Additional coverage is very affordable, with Fortune Magazine having determined that higher uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may be the best financial investment providing the highest return for the average person.

Uninsured motorist coverage affords coverage for you and all members of your family who reside in your household with you. It would also include any minor children of yours who do not live with you or your children who are away at college.  You do not have to be an automobile driver or passenger to be eligible for coverage. Your automobile uninsured/underinsured policy provides coverage even if you were a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, or bystander, so long as the motorist who caused your injuries was uninsured or underinsured. Your uninsured motorist coverage also protects passengers in your car or other people driving your car with your permission, and who are injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver.

Your underinsured motorist claim will never go to court, instead, California provides that all claims be arbitrated to quickly and economically resolve your claim.  Do not be fooled by the informality of an underinsured claim.  The stakes are high, and the process can be daunting if the procedural rules are not complied with.

You need an attorney well-versed in underinsured motorist accidents who will get you the right medical personnel to get you the care you need and a settlement commensurate with your injury today and the consequences tomorrow.

FOCUSING ON COMPENSATION

Arthur Liberty has the experience and knowledge needed when encountering any underinsured motorist accidents. With over three decades of experience, Arthur Liberty has the resources and is the dedicated Santa Monica underinsured accident lawyer you need to follow through with your claim.

Arthur Liberty will thoroughly investigate the facts of the accident or incident to determine the legal strategy to take in your particular situation. During your initial consultation, he will thoroughly discuss your case, including potential sources of information not readily apparent, including potential witnesses, video and audio recordings, which must be acquired quickly before they are recorded over, law enforcement reports, and investigation whose initial conclusions can be altered if quickly dealt with early on. Arthur Liberty will try to answer all of your questions. He is committed to providing you with personal attention throughout the course of your claim and will pursue every possible means of compensation on your behalf. Whether you have medical costs, lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, his efforts will be towards maximizing your potential settlement.

It is never easy to get through a difficult situation where you suffer an underinsured motorist accident. Arthur Liberty will strive to provide caring and compassionate representation.  His goal is simple: resolve your claim fairly, effortlessly, and as quickly as possible.  If your case requires that a lawsuit be pursued, rest assured that as an experienced and successful attorney, Arthur Liberty will still have the same goal.

Contact Arthur Liberty to discuss your underinsured motorist accident claim.