Uninsured Motorist Claims

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (“UM” coverage) protects you in the event that you are injured by a driver that has either no bodily injury insurance coverage or who has coverage that is less than the amount of reimbursement to which you are entitled. For example, if you suffered injuries in a car accident, you are entitled to reimbursement for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Normally, you would receive compensation from the insurer for the at-fault driver’s bodily injury insurance.

However, if the at-fault driver has no bodily injury insurance coverage, then you could obtain compensation from your own auto insurance, if you purchased UM coverage. Also, if the other driver has bodily injury coverage, but the value of your losses exceed the amount of the other driver’s bodily injury coverage, then your own UM coverage would make up the difference, up to the limit of your policy.

Florida law does not require that owners and drivers of private cars have bodily injury coverage. In addition, some drivers allow their insurance to lapse, resulting in no coverage at all. Also, an at-fault driver may flee the scene and never get caught. Many times, irresponsible drivers, especially those who drink and drive, are irresponsible in many areas of their lives and do not have car insurance or failed to pay their insurance premiums resulting in a cancelled policy. As such, we recommend everyone purchase UM insurance – it is not particularly expensive and can provide you with much needed relief in the event you suffer serious injuries in a car or trucking accident.

UM coverage can be purchased as “stacking” or “non-stacking.” The primary difference is that stacking coverage can be added to UM coverage you may have through another vehicle.

Florida law provides each person with UM coverage in the same amount as any bodily injury insurance coverage he or she purchased unless the insurer obtains a signed UM rejection form. We have uncovered numerous incidents where the auto insurer did not have a signed form resulting in UM coverage where there otherwise would have been none.

In addition to having UM coverage of your own, you may also be entitled to any UM coverage purchased for the vehicle in which you are riding. Finally, you can also qualify for UM coverage through that purchased by any relative with whom you live.

If you have suffered injuries in a car accident in the greater Jacksonville area, it is important you retain a lawyer experienced in handling uninsured motorist claims.

Our Jacksonville auto injury lawyers look into every car accident case to determine all sources of insurance coverage including bodily injury coverage for the at-fault driver, bodily injury coverage for the owner of the vehicle being driven by the at-fault driver, uninsured motorist insurance purchased by the client, uninsured motorist insurance purchased by the owner of the car in which the client was riding and any uninsured motorist insurance purchased by a resident relative.

If you have any questions, please contact our Jacksonville car accident lawyers for a free no obligation consultation. We will be glad to discuss your situation on the phone or in person at a time and location that is convenient to you. Our lawyers have handled uninsured motorist claims in Jacksonville for more than twenty years.