A car accident can leave you with a number of hardships, from excessive medical bills and pain and suffering to a disability that doesn’t allow you to earn a living. When a driver responsible for the accident does not have liability insurance or does not have enough coverage to pay for the damage/injuries caused, the victim can get financial relief from his own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UIM).
By law, drivers in almost every state in the country must have a minimum of insurance coverage in case they are involved in an accident and must compensate for damages caused to third parties with their vehicle.
Texas law requires drivers to carry auto liability insurance coverage for bodily injury of $ 30,000 per person and $ 60,000 for all those affected in an accident, as well as $25,000 of coverage for property damage.
The problem is that many drivers decide to obtain the most basic of insurance, the minimum that state laws require to satisfy the requirements of legal driving, but this coverage is not always enough and then the problems begin. This is not to mention that many drivers neglect their obligations and do not have insurance at all, hoping that they will never be in a mishap and that no one will discover them.
Uninsured Driver Coverage in Texas
Not only is not having auto insurance illegal in Texas, but it is also quite inconvenient because the responsibility of driving then remains in your hands and in the own financial resources of the driver himself. If a driver does not have the money to purchase insurance, chances are he or she will also not have the resources to deal with an accident claim.
The civil liability system in the event of an accident operates on this basis. If all drivers have insurance, at the time of an accident, it will compensate: the repair costs of damaged cars, losses of personal property of those involved or third parties, medical treatment, and claims for damages of the people involved in the accident.
But getting involved in an accident with an uninsured driver is a more complicated subject. The number of these drivers continues to grow year over year, and current estimates suggest that one in six Texas drivers does not have auto liability insurance. If you have purchased uninsured motorist coverage as part of your insurance plan, you may have coverage for these situations.
However, uninsured motorist coverage does not guarantee full coverage for your damages and injuries. Like all liability insurance, uninsured motorist coverage has limits and restrictions. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, the cost of your injuries can far exceed your coverage. Before filing a claim, you should review your case with a personal injury attorney to determine your protection and what options you have.
What does uninsured motor vehicle coverage cover?
It’s all too common a scenario. You are in an accident with another vehicle which you are not guilty of c. Once you are able to speak to the driver of the other car, it is only to discover that they do not have liability insurance, although most states require that all drivers purchase it.
If you’re involved in an accident caused by a driver who doesn’t have liability insurance, uninsured motor vehicle coverage (also known as uninsured motor vehicle insurance) helps pay for:
-Lost income
-Medical expenses
-Pain and suffering
-Damages related to your car (if applicable in your state)
What is underinsured motor vehicle coverage?
Accidents in which drivers are underinsured are also very common. Underinsured motor vehicle coverage covers you when you are injured in a car accident by someone who has liability insurance, but its limits are not high enough to pay for your damages.
What is the difference between underinsured and uninsured motor vehicle coverage?
Both types of coverage pay for the same type of expenses when you are in an accident. With underinsured motor vehicle coverage, the difference is that the at-fault driver’s insurance pays for damages up to the limits of your insurance policy; Your underinsured motor vehicle coverage goes in to pay for damages above and beyond what your policy covers.
How does uninsured motor vehicle coverage work?
Drivers are required by law to have liability insurance on their car insurance policies. However, that doesn’t stop many people from driving without it.
Consider that one in eight drivers nationwide is uninsured, according to a 2019 report presented by the Insurance Research Council. That’s a national average. States vary from less than 5% (about 1 in 20 drivers) in Maine to more than 17% (about 1 in 6 drivers) in Texas.
If you are involved in an accident caused by one of these drivers, they may not have money to pay for the damages they caused.
Adding uninsured motor vehicle coverage to your policy means that you are covered in situations like these that will help pay for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost income.
How Does Underinsured Motor Vehicle Coverage Work?
Although most states require drivers to carry liability insurance, the minimum amount of insurance required varies by state. Too often, drivers buy only the minimum amount of liability coverage that they require by law
Underinsured motor vehicle coverage helps pay for the costs of an accident when you are not at fault, in a situation where the driver of the other car has liability insurance but does not have enough insurance to cover all damages caused by the accident.
Should You Buy Uninsured and / or Underinsured Motor Vehicle Insurance?
There are several factors that determine whether uninsured motor vehicle coverage is necessary for you, including the state in which you live and how well you can absorb the costs to repair your car and recover from your injuries if you are in an accident caused by another uninsured driver.
Imagine that you are in an accident. You are not at fault, but your car has suffered damage that will cost to repair and you (or someone in your family) have suffered injuries that will take time to recover, including the length of time you will be absent from work.
Can you afford to pay to have your car repaired as well as any medical or hospital bills you incur as a result of the accident? In cases like this, many drivers find that they may have a great deal of difficulty doing so. Uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle coverage helps protect them in exactly these situations.
This is also a big problem for people who do have insurance who are in an accident where the other party in the crash does not have insurance. So, they are forced to make a claim on their own insurance, and this brings multiple problems in the future. For this reason, insurance companies have coverage that can be added to private car insurance, which provides additional protection in case the driver with whom you may have had a collision does not have insurance, and you can still do the same. claim to your insurer without consequences of future cancellations.
In other words, when you include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in your policy, if you are in a hit and run with an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, the insurer will reimburse you as if it were the insurance of the driver.
We Help Our Clients Find Solutions with Personal Liability.
Our Houston injury attorneys help clients understand what uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is and achieve the compensation you deserve. Although it is true that a claim for UIM is done through your insurance, it does not mean that your rates will go up automatically. This is determined on a case-by-case basis and is important to protect yourself from negligent insurance terminations and unfair rate changes.
At PMR Law, we have helped many Texas car accident victims find solutions in a number of different situations. Many drivers could receive fair compensation with the help of our Houston personal injury team. Sometimes the success of an injury claim depends on the competence and expertise of the attorney.
We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. Not only do we have a satisfactory record, but we also offer clients our legal services with conditional fees (we only collect fees if our client receives compensation from a lawsuit). If you do not win your case, we do not charge a fee. This has allowed us to provide Houston residents with legal services without weighing down their finances.
Contact PMR Law Today
At PMR Law, our attorneys have experience handling UIM claims in Houston and the surrounding region. We can help you regardless of the type or severity of the injury. Reach out online or by phone to speak with a Houston uninsured and underinsured motorist attorney.
If you need legal representation for an uninsured or underinsured motorist accident lawsuit, we are here to help. Get in touch online or by phone to speak with a Texas personal injury attorney. We represent injury victims throughout Texas.
Contact our auto accident lawyers at 832-667-7700. Get in touch with us immediately so we can evaluate your case for free. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also fill out a form by clicking here.
PMR Law is considered one of the Best Law Firms of America, by Rue Ratings. Several of our attorneys have been given the honor of being named Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys has named our attorneys 10 Best in Client Satisfaction. Speaking of personal injury, Attorney and Practice Magazine awarded our attorneys with Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney distinctions. The National Trial Lawyers have named three of our attorneys as Top 100 attorneys. The Academy of Attorneys has named two of our attorneys as Top 40 Under 40. Our attorneys have been recognized as Best Attorneys of America, by Rue Ratings. PMR Law is a proud member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum.