Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists
Too often, when somebody drives carelessly and causes injuries, that isn’t the first time in their lives they’ve been careless. Even though the Legislature has established strict penalties for driving without liability insurance, people still drive our streets without insurance every day.
When that happens, if you’ve been hurt by the negligence of an uninsured driver, dealing with the aftermath is very different than if you had been hit by a driver with insurance.
If you have car insurance, you probably have “uninsured motorist” coverage with that insurance. In the insurance industry, that’s called “UM” coverage. The purpose of that insurance is to cover your injuries if the driver who hit you does not have any liability insurance. However, at that point, your own insurance company becomes an adversary — at least that’s how most insurance adjusters treat the case. No matter how nice the adjuster seems on the phone, that person now has one job: to make sure they pay out as little to you as they possibly can. You are going to need to have somebody on your side watching out for your rights and pushing back against the insurance company when they try to low-ball you.
A similar situation arises if you get hurt by a driver who doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your injuries. In Colorado, the minimum amount of liability coverage a driver must have is only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. If you’re hurt and have to spend even a few days in a hospital, your medical bills alone will already exceed $25,000. And if you’re in an accident with several passengers who are hurt, the amount available could easily drop below the $25,000 limits.
“Real Cases — Real Results” Case Study No. 72:
A gentleman buys a new motorcycle and wants to impress his girlfriend. However, he’s never really had a bike before, and once she gets on the bike, he loses control before it even gets started, and he lets the bike fall on her, causing her physical damage and pain. Dan Slater is able to help the woman recover $67,000 for her damages combined from his insurance and her own UM/UIM coverage.
Those situations are where “underinsured motorist” coverage applies. In the insurance industry, that’s called “UIM” coverage. Together, the two coverages are commonly referred to al “UM/UIM” coverage, and they almost always fall under the same umbrella. When the amount of your damages from your injuries exceeds the amount the other driver has in insurance coverage, your insurance is supposed to step in and cover the difference, up to the limits of your own coverage. But, again, at that point your own insurance becomes an adversary. You are going to need to have your own advocate to ensure your rights are protected.
In other words, you need Dan Slater.
Dan has been fighting these fights with insurance companies for his entire professional career. He understands how insurance companies value cases, and he understands when to talk, and when to fight. More importantly, Dan closely follows the ever-changing rules in UM/UIM coverage issues — in the field of personal injuries, UM/UIM is one of the most constantly-changing topics of the law. If you choose an attorney who only occasionally handles personal injuries, you’re much more likely to end up with someone who doesn’t know about the latest changes and that could really hurt your rights, as well.
If you’ve been hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or if your injuries are so severe that you’re worried about whether the other driver’s insurance will be enough to cover your injuries, you should call an effective, knowledgeable, aggressive advocate.
You should call Dan Slater — or fill out the easy form below.
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