Many people assume that Under-insured and Uninsured motorist claims only involve motorists who illegally drive without insurance or people who only secure the bare minimum in automotive coverage. However, most of the major car accidents in Pennsylvania result in very serious injuries, which are rarely fully compensated for by the responsible motorist’s insurance coverage.

How could a $15,000 insurance policy even begin to compensate an injured person for the thousands of dollars in medical expenses, lifetime accommodations, nursing care, rehabilitation, medication costs, and lost wages that result from a serious accident?

Under-insured and Uninsured motorist benefits are your protection for you and your family members who are covered under your motor vehicle insurance policy. Under-insured and Uninsured motorist benefits are not just for those who illegally drive without insurance or for those with bare minimum coverage. Typically, most people believe that their motor vehicle insurance coverage is to protect those they may injure if they cause a car accident. Under-insured and Uninsured motorist coverage is the opposite of that. Under-insured and Uninsured motorist coverage is insurance provided by your car insurance company that protects you when you are injured due to another’s negligence.

How You Can Be Compensated By Your Own Policy

Under-insured and Uninsured motorist insurance coverage can be purchased when you first buy auto insurance or at your request. This coverage can ensure that you can collect fair compensation for your injuries, even if the person who caused your accident was an uninsured driver or someone whose insurance is not adequate to cover the full extent of your expenses. Don’t leave the coverage decision for your injury up to those who caused your injury and the policy coverage they elected for themselves.

Most people don’t know that they can seek compensation under their own policy at no cost to their insurance premiums, and even more people don’t know how to do this effectively. When the person who caused your injury does not have enough insurance coverage or no insurance at all, your insurance company may compensate you for your injury. If and only if you have Under-insured and Uninsured motorist benefits as part of your motor vehicle insurance policy.

The Changing Rules Regarding Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Insurance policies written more than a year ago include mandatory arbitration clauses that limit people’s rights to bring a lawsuit against their insurance company. Recent buy cipro over the counter policies allow injured people to pursue litigation when necessary to secure fair compensation under their under-insured and uninsured motorist coverage.

When you purchase automobile insurance, we strongly encourage you to secure Uninsured and Under-insured motorist coverage with no arbitrary limits, which will ensure you have recourse if you are injured by a motorist with no or insufficient insurance.

Many insurance companies offer saving by what is called “write down” or “sign down” coverage. This means that you agree to reduce your only for of protection or shield if you are injured to something less than what you made available to others if you caused the injury or accident. Your Under-insured and Uninsured motorist coverage should be equal to your liability coverage. For instance, if you have a $100,000/$300,000 motor vehicle insurance policy in case you cause an accident and injure some else; your Under-insured and Uninsured coverage should be the same, not less. We don’t recommend you decrease these values, as this is your only coverage for yourself if your are injured by someone with little or no motor vehicle insurance.

Things you should do if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident:

1. Take photos of your injuries

2. Keep a diary of how you feel

3. Save all prescription bottles related to your injuries

4. If possible, collect any debris from the scene of your accident

5. If trees or other obstructions played a role in your accident, take video footage or photos of the obstructions

6. If the driver who hit you was drunk and you know where they were drinking, write down any details you know

7. Keep a copy of all doctor’s notes, diagrams, or diagnostic results pertaining to your medical treatment

8. Keep track of missed days from work and any lost wages that result

9. If injured in an SUV rollover, take photos of any evidence of roof crush or failed support columns

10. Get treatment right away if you believe you are injured

Gladys Wiles, Esquire

(610) 391-9500.

Regardless of whether you have a herniated disc, spinal cord injury or concussion, the consequences can be significant and devastating if you fail to recover damages proportional to the financial impact on your work and personal life. Gladys Wiles at Snyder & Wiles, PC, has the investigative and legal tools needed to pursue the maximum compensation available to you under the law.