St. Louis Car Accident with an Underinsured Motorist

Unfortunately, many St. Louis drivers are well aware of the ramifications of being involved in an accident with a driver who is not insured.

Uninsured motorist coverage on your own insurance policy should cover any damages. What many people do not realize is that uninsured motorist coverage also covers you if the driver’s insurance is not enough to cover the costs of your damages. If the policy limits of the driver who hit you has left you with a hospital bill balance, talk to a St. Louis car accident attorney today. You might be able to make up the difference using your own underinsured driver insurance.

Basic Liability Insurance

When choosing automotive insurance, car owners are required to purchase basic liability insurance. This is meant to cover the cost of any damages they may inflict on another driver in the event of a car accident. Basically it serves to protect your personal assets from being seized if you were to be sued for a car crash. The driver has the option of choosing how much this policy should pay out. Typically the more assets they have, the higher their basic liability insurance should be.

Drivers who have very little or no assets will usually choose the least expensive basic liability insurance they are allowed. The law requirements are met and their monthly premiums are as low as possible. The problem for other motorists is that if an underinsured driver causes a car accident, the insurance company has no obligation to pay more than what is referred to as the policy limit. In a car accident where the extent of injury is severe, that could leave a car accident victim with a hefty balance of medical bills.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This is why it is recommended that you add uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to your basic liability insurance package. This allows you to seek the balance from your own insurance company. This worked for a Missouri woman who was rear-ended by an underinsured motorist. After receiving the policy limit to help pay for the treatment of a herniated disc, the woman's own insurance company had to pay her an additional $150,000 to offset the balance. This settlement was agreed upon only days before the trial was set to begin.

Even if you are pursuing compensation from your own insurance company, you may still need our assistance. It is not uncommon for the insurance company to fight from having to pay your due compensation. They may try to claim comparative negligence, stating that you were partly to blame for the accident, or they could argue that your medical treatment is for a pre-existing condition that is unrelated to the accident.

St. Louis Car Accident Attorney

In any type of accident, never speak with an insurance adjustor, either yours or the defendants, without legal representation. If you are stuck paying for medical bills left over from a car accident with an underinsured driver, call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242.