Uninsured and Underinsured Accidents in California

Insurance regulations vary from state to state. However, California is what we call a tort state. If you’ve caused an accident but don’t have sufficient insurance coverage, you will pay for the damages out of your own pocket. And if you’ve been injured in an accident with insufficient insurance coverage, it may limit the amount of compensation you can get.

This rule is the so-called “No Pay, No Play” rule.

It follows the reasoning that if you don’t have the required auto insurance that could provide full compensation to someone else in case of an accident, then you shouldn’t be fully compensated if you’re injured. In that case, you can only get reimbursement for medical bills. You won’t be eligible for non-economic damages like emotional pain.

What Are Your Options?

You should at least have the minimum insurance coverage in case you cause an accident, or become a victim in one. The minimum insurance coverage for bodily harm is $15,000 for one person and $30,000 in case of multiple injured individuals.

The second aspect that is covered with the minimum insurance is property damage. The minimum coverage for this insurance is up to $5,000. In case of an accident, these amounts will cover all the damages.

If you don’t have it, you’ll have to pay for them yourself. If you don’t have any kind of auto liability insurance policy, you will be personally responsible for reimbursing the injured party. This can lead to trial and if the injured party gets a judgement against you, they could even garnish your wages to get their reimbursement. And in addition to having to pay for damages if you were at fault and driving uninsured, you could also be heavily fined. In some cases, you could even have your driver’s license revoked.

The state of California requires you to have minimum insurance which covers bodily harm and property damage. Vice versa, if you were in an accident and the liable party only had minimum insurance, you could only get up to $15,000 for your expenses since that’s the maximum coverage of the minimum insurance. But if you hire an expert attorney in California, you could cover the rest of your expenses from the uninsured motorist coverage.

With this type of insurance, even if the person who injured you doesn’t have insurance, you could be compensated by your insurance company.

Filing a Claim for Uninsured Accidents in California

When you’ve been in an accident, all you want to do is file a claim. If you’ve purchased uninsured motorist insurance as well, you expect the process to go over as smoothly as possible. However, this is rarely the case.

Insurance adjusters aren’t medical professionals. They don’t understand the extent of your damages. And even if you do have maximum coverage through your own insurance, the insurance company won’t go easy on you.

After an accident, collect all the police and medical reports you can. If possible, get photographic evidence and store other documents related to your accident. And then, come to EFS Law Center.

Our attorneys will sit down with you and help you make the most out of your accident. It may have been painful, but it doesn’t have to be anymore. Get the compensation you deserve, and recover in peace. Get in touch with our experts today!