With literally tens of thousands of car accidents in the United States every year, one can only hope not to be involved in one. Regardless of practicing safe driving habits, sometimes a car accident is unavoidable. If you have the misfortune of being involved in a crash, it can sometimes be a small comfort to know that car insurance coverage, your own or the other driver’s, will most likely kick in and help pay for medical treatment and vehicle damage. In some cases, however, even though a minimum amount of liability car insurance is legally required in almost every state, there are still drivers behind the wheel without insurance.
If you are injured in a car accident caused by another driver, your injury claim is filed against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. While you can purchase insurance coverage in higher amounts than the minimum state requirements, many drivers in Maryland purchase the minimum amounts of liability insurance.
Sadly, many car accident claims exceed coverage necessary to handle the resulting expenses that are incurred, especially if the at-fault driver is uninsured or has minimal limits. However, when buying car insurance in Maryland, you will likely purchase something called uninsured motorist coverage.
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is insurance you pay for as part of your automobile insurance policy which covers your losses and damages if you are injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver or a driver with limits lower than you. Even though Maryland drivers are required by law to purchase car insurance, many drivers disobey the law. If a driver does not have car insurance, you can usually assume that the driver does not have any personal assets that could be used to pay your expenses from a car accident. In addition, UM coverage can pay your damages in a hit and run accident. Therefore, UM coverage is essential to protect you in the event that an uninsured driver causes an accident.
Even though this option is available, it’s best to consult an experienced Maryland auto accident attorney if you’re involved in a vehicle crash with an uninsured motorist. Often times, uninsured motorist claims are denied. Even though you may be dealing with your insurance provider, you should not assume they will treat your claim any differently from other insurance claims. In other words, you need to be very cautious.
Our Maryland car accident attorneys have the experience necessary to help you best handle an uninsured motorist claim. Contact Potter Burnett Law today to receive a free evaluation of your car accident case.
Accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers happen. When they do, you may need an experienced car accident attorney to advocate for your losses.