Have you or a loved one been hurt in an accident with an uninsured motorist? If so, contact an experienced Evansville car accident attorney at Chapman Injury Lawyers for help right away.
Car accidents are an unfortunate reality for most drivers on the road. Even when drivers are actively safely and following the law, conditions on the road change quickly. Many drivers cannot react fast enough to these changes, and an accident may be inevitable.
Given the inherent risks of driving, the law requires every driver to have car insurance. There are many car insurance options available, but a basic level of coverage is always necessary to help pay for physical injuries and property damage after an accident.
This system works to protect the people involved in the accident, especially the individual who is not at fault, from severe financial debt because of another person’s actions.
Despite this law, some people choose to drive without insurance, placing you at risk of having to pay for the accident this driver caused. No matter whether the driver cannot afford insurance, forgot to pay for their coverage, or did not renew their policy, this person is breaking the law.
Although you should not have to take responsibility for this person’s illegal behavior, the financial burden may still fall on your or your loved ones after an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. However, you have the right to fight back.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by an uninsured driver, you are experiencing devastating consequences. Among these are medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
Since the driver who caused the car accident was not insured, you have no idea how all these will be paid. While there is the possibility of getting the driver to pay out-of-pocket for the damages they’ve caused, it’s very unlikely that they can or will.
Fortunately, there may be options that you’re not aware of to get compensation for the losses you’ve suffered. Chapman Injury Lawyers offers a free consultation to help you begin the process of getting compensation following a car accident with an uninsured motorist. Contact us today at (812) 426-0600
Figuring out what to do after a car accident is stressful and overwhelming. There are many things you’re dealing with at once: medical care, property damage, lost time at work, and trying to figure out who will pay for everything.
Taking action against an uninsured motorist will require a significant amount of time and effort to ensure that you receive the compensation you need. You need an Evansville uninsured motorist accident lawyer on board with you to help you through the legal process.
An experienced uninsured motorist attorney has access to the best investigative resources to prove which driver was at fault, and they will fight aggressively on your behalf with both the negligent driver and your insurance company for fair and just compensation.
If you’ve been in an uninsured motorist accident, retain legal counsel right away. Most insurance companies give their policyholders a limited amount of time to file an uninsured/underinsured claim. You may have as little as 30 days from the date of your accident to make a claim.
At Chapman Injury Lawyers, we give personalized attention and care to every client we serve. We have years of experience and extensive knowledge of personal injury law that we use to make sure you get justice. We have a proven track record of success in Evansville, and we are ready to put our skills to use for you.
Uninsured motorist car accidents can turn your life upside down, and we’re here to help you shoulder that burden. That’s why we provide a free consultation so that we can get to know you and talk through the details of your uninsured motorist accident.
During this consultation, our lawyers will help you understand the steps we can take, as well as the amount of compensation you may be able to receive.
Many people worry that they will not be able to afford an attorney. At Chapman Injury Lawyers we represent our clients on a contingency-fee-basis, which means that we will take a small percentage of the compensation you win at the end of your case. You don’t pay us anything until we win your case.
Call us today at (812) 426-0600 for a free consultation to discuss your case.
Most states require drivers to have a certain amount of car insurance coverage, known as the minimum coverage. Lawmakers in each state set the amount of coverage that qualifies under their minimum.
Therefore, each state will have a different price set for each type of coverage. However, most minimum car insurance policies determine coverage for an accident based on three categories:
Some minimum car insurance policies also include personal injury protection and uninsured motorist protection. These additional features are not as standard in minimum insurance policies, so it is essential to contact your insurance provider to understand the terms of your policy thoroughly.
The state of Indiana requires each driver to carry a 25/50/25 minimum car insurance policy. This type of policy name is shorthand for the amount of coverage a person must have, meaning:
The minimum car insurance policy may be enough to cover the damage caused in some car accidents. However, in serious accidents, especially those that are life-threatening or fatal, minimum insurance coverage can only account for a part of the financial expenses you are facing.
What this means is that even if the person who caused your accident meets the minimum car insurance requirements, they may still be underinsured. The driver does not have enough insurance to cover the full cost of the physical injuries or property damage the accident caused. Therefore, you will have to pay the rest of the costs of this accident. That is why you need an attorney.
No matter whether a driver is uninsured or underinsured, if this driver caused your accident, they should have to take full responsibility for the pain and suffering they have caused. No one should expect you to manage a financial burden, in addition to this devastating accident. Your uninsured motorist accident lawyer will help you fight back against these unfair expenses.
The law requires that all drivers have insurance. Normally, if you are in an accident caused by another driver, the other driver’s insurance would pay for your medical bills and repairs to your vehicle.
Unfortunately, it is estimated that about 13% of drivers are not insured. Because of this, insurance companies offer uninsured motorist insurance, which covers you if you are in an accident caused by an uninsured driver.
You can also purchase underinsured motorist coverage, which covers you if the driver who hits you has insurance, but it’s insufficient to pay for the damage caused to you and/or your vehicle. Some states require these types of insurance coverage.
If the driver who hit you refuses to give you their insurance information or tells you that they do not have insurance, you should immediately contact your insurance company and let them know you will be filing an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim.
You also need to contact an experienced uninsured motorist accident attorney, like the ones at Chapman Injury Lawyers. Even if you have an uninsured/underinsured motorist policy, insurance companies are incentivized to pay you the least amount of money they can, and often take advantage of car accident victims who are overwhelmed and stressed after their accident.
Insurance companies frequently deny claims or compensate much less than their policyholder deserves. They may try to claim that your coverage was not active at the time of the accident, or even that you were partially at fault.
You should not give up simply because your insurance company denies your claim. Insurance companies often make this process intentionally confusing to deter policyholders from taking further action. A Chapman Injury Lawyers attorney will stand up to your insurance company on your behalf and fight for the settlement you are entitled to.
It’s also possible that your injuries/vehicle damage exceeds the amount that your insurance covers. For example, if your uninsured motorist insurance covers up to $50,000 of damages, but you’ve spent $100,000 on medical bills and car repairs, you need to find another way to be compensated for the remaining $50,000.
In this case, you will likely either need to file a lawsuit against your insurance company or the uninsured motorist who hit you or both.
If you don’t have uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance, there are still options, and a lawyer can help you decide what to do. First, we need to ensure that the driver who hit you truly does not have sufficient insurance.
Sometimes, the at-fault driver actually does have some insurance, but their insurance company claims that the coverage was not active at the time of the crash to avoid paying you. A lawyer will conduct a full investigation into whether or not this is true.
You can also sue the driver who caused the accident for your damages, such as medical bills, vehicle damage, lost wages, etc. This is called a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney will make a case to a judge about how much compensation you are entitled to, and the judge will decide how much the at-fault party needs to pay you.
However, even if a judge orders the at-fault driver to pay you damages, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the driver will actually do so. Uninsured drivers are often uninsured because they cannot afford to make car insurance payments, meaning they likely have little to no money or assets to compensate you.
However, sometimes drivers are uninsured for reasons other than being unable to afford it. Perhaps they forgot to pay their last month’s insurance bill, or just bought a new car and hadn’t yet bought insurance. In this situation, the driver may be able to afford the damages ordered by the judge, and a lawsuit is worth the time and energy.
Even when you are in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you have a right to receive compensation for the damage this person caused. This damage is often more extensive than you may initially realize. If you are entering into a lawsuit, it is essential to understand the extent of the compensation you may be entitled to receive.
Car accidents often cause immediate physical injuries and property damage. There are also long-term expenses, changes to your life, and emotional suffering that are associated with a severe car accident. You may be able to receive compensation for each of these different kinds of loses, including but not limited to:
Any of these losses can have a devastating impact on your life and your loved ones. When you work with an uninsured motorist accident lawyer, they will help you understand the scale of this accident in the present and the future.
With an experienced lawyer’s advice and support, a correct amount of compensation that is appropriate for your losses can be determined. Monetary compensation cannot take away the injustice that you experienced as a result of this accident. However, this money may help you protect your financial interests and ensure that you can provide for yourself and your loved ones moving forward.
Chapman Injury Lawyers can help you get the compensation you are entitled to after you’ve been involved in an uninsured motorist accident. We are here to guide you every step of the way, and we don’t quit until we get you the justice you deserve. Getting into a car accident with an uninsured motorist can be devastating, but you shouldn’t have to bear the consequences all by yourself.
Contact the Evansville uninsured motorist attorneys today at (812) 426-0600 to start on the road to recovery.
Don’t face this alone.
NEIL CHAPMAN, LAWYER