Under the law, all motorists are required to have a minimum amount of car insurance to protect other drivers from accidents and injuries. Most motorists opt for more insurance than the minimum amount, for obvious reasons. However, some motorists throw caution to the wind and make the choice to skip not only extra insurance, but all insurance altogether. How does one proceed when yourself or loved ones have suffered car accident injuries due to uninsured or underinsured motorists?
UMI insurance is an option provided by your own insurance company. For those who opt in, it can help to cover injuries and damages caused by uninsured drivers, underinsured drivers and hit and run accidents. Sometimes, UMI is required per state law and other times it is just an option. Either way, a person may not be satisfied with the amount of coverage offered by their own insurance company after being involved in an accident with an underinsured motorist.
In traditional car accidents, in which both motorists have adequate insurance coverage, this generally isn’t a concern. However, it isn’t unheard of for these irresponsible underinsured and uninsured motorists to cause accidents and then expect to walk away with no consequences. That’s not entirely true, as these motorists can be held accountable by the law for driving without adequate insurance. In terms of personal injury accountability, this must to be determined on a case-by-case basis, but a person may have the right to seek damages for personal injuries caused by an uninsured motorist.
One of the first things a driver will ask of the other driver is proof of insurance. If a person is unable to provide that, it’s a good indication that they could be an underinsured or uninsured driver. These drivers can leave another person at a disadvantage if they are involved in an accident.
