Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage

What Everyone Needs to Know

As a driver in Southern California, it's absolutely critical to understand how important it is to maintain uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Due to the extremely high level of uninsured drivers on California's roads, it's necessary to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If you were involved in a car accident, contact a Pasadena personal injury attorney to discuss your claim.

At McGee, Lerer & Associates, we have seen the devastating effects of being injured in a car accident where the at-fault driver was either uninsured or underinsured. When the accident victim does not have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on their own auto insurance policy, they are out of luck when it comes to pursuing a claim against the at-fault party. The only other option is suing the at-fault driver but in most cases, if they don't have auto insurance, they don't have the money to compensate the injured victim.

How does uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage work?

If you are hit by an uninsured driver, your own insurance policy will cover your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Even if you are hit by a driver who only carries liability coverage, your own policy will kick in and make sure that your medical bills, pain and suffering and lost wages are covered. You would also be covered if you were on a bicycle, a scooter or if you were a pedestrian.

Considering just how many uninsured drivers are on the road in Southern California, it is absolutely vital to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your own insurance policy. You will not be penalized for using your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, meaning your premiums will not be increased if you are forced to use it. What's more, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage only represents around 10% of your premiums, so it is well worth the additional cost if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver down the road.

How much uninsured & underinsured coverage does a person need?

Carrying uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident is not enough. We recommend carrying at least $100,000 per person/$ 300,000 per accident. Better yet, carrying $250,000/$500,000 is the best choice.

We suggest that you waste no time in pulling out your insurance papers. Check to see if you are currently carrying uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Keep in mind that if your insurance agent tells you that you have "full coverage," that is not the same as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Not sure how to tell if you carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your policy? Click here to see a sample auto insurance "Declarations" page, and to see the uninsured/underinsured motorist policy limits we recommend.

Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Pasadena, CA

Last, we recommend that you find out if your significant other, your child, your siblings and your close friends have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Making a small change in your policy can save you hundreds of thousands in medical bills and lost wages in the future.