Our clients were driving on the freeway on their way home. It was like any other day, and they were excited for a major development in their life. They were expecting their first baby. Traffic came to a slow down and they were suddenly hit by a truck. It was a heavy impact that shocked our clients.
What occurred after the accident was even worse.
The truck driver left the scene of the accident. Imagine how scared someone is following a collision with a truck and then realizing that the driver intends to flee. Even accidents where the parties cooperate are intense and emotional situations.
Of course, our clients were scared and not sure what to do. Both of them required medical treatment and would incur bills because of it. Our pregnant client was worried about her baby and needed specialized treatment to make sure everything was going to be okay.
After our clients followed the truck and took a picture of the license plate, the defendant driver finally did the right thing and pulled over. He gave our clients his driver’s license and insurance information.
But there was another problem.
The truck driver’s insurance was no longer active. His insurance would not pay for their property damage, medical bills, or the pain they went through. The truck driver was young and didn’t have the money to pay for medical bills or even the pain he cause our clients.
It seemed like there was nothing that could be done but we reviewed out clients’ insurance policy and saw they had uninsured motorist coverage.
The Value of Uninsured Motorist Coverage
When choosing an insurance policy, don’t skip past underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage. Insurance companies offer it with auto insurance policies but some people waive it to save money on the premiums. It may seem like an unnecessary expense. So why spend the extra money on uninsured motorist coverage?
Because the Insurance Research Council (IRC) identified that there are about 215 million drivers in the United States—and 32 million of them are uninsured. That puts your chances of getting into an accident with an uninsured driver at about 1 in 8.
If you are in an accident in California with a driver who was at fault and uninsured, you will rely on your uninsured driver coverage to recoup the money you lost.
You may think you can always file a lawsuit against the driver. However, they could potentially have little to no assets. It could be like trying to get water from a rock. The easiest solution is to get uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage to ensure you are protected. Though it is optional, that doesn’t mean it isn’t essential. When you get into an accident with an uninsured driver, you will be able to recover from your own insurance company – and they are not supposed to raise your premiums if you are not at fault.
Contact a Reliable & Experience Personal Injury Attorney
At Howell LLP, our goal is to help you recover after an accident. You shouldn’t have to lose money by paying medical bills and missing time from work due to someone else’s negligence. If you have been injured in any way, whether through a car accident, animal attack, or assault, contact us today to schedule your free consultation. We want to help you get back on your feet medically and financially.
