Chicago Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Lawyer
The law in Illinois requires drivers to maintain minimum insurance policy limits. Sadly, some motorists are either uninsured or have no adequate insurance to cover the damages arising from their negligence. The lack of coverage of these motorists can have devastating consequences, especially if you’re the one on the road. The last thing you want to happen is to shell out cash for your medical bills after getting into an accident caused by the negligence or recklessness of another person.
The good news is that you have options when you’re facing this situation. The uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) attorneys of Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC, a law office based in Chicago, are ready to discuss these options with you. We have the experience necessary to handle UM/UIM cases. Contact us today.
Even if the motorist is underinsured or lacks any form of insurance, you could still file an insurance claim with your own insurance company. Your insurance company may have to pay the full cost for the injuries you’ve sustained along with other damages. This option, however, is only available if you’ve bought UM/UIM coverage.
Why You Should Use an Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Lawyer
While Illinois law demands insurance companies offer this coverage to drivers, you are not required to purchase it. Even if you do buy one, insurance firms will look for reasons to disapprove your claims. You’ll likely have to fight hard to obtain the compensation you deserve. Additionally, you need an experienced lawyer who can check your policy carefully and determine your coverage.
Our law firm makes sure that your insurance provider lives up to its promises. Our attorneys know the UM/UIM processes and are familiar with the steps to dispute a denied claim. They have successfully helped motorist accident victims get the compensation you deserve after an accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver.
Additionally, our lawyers have the skills to locate other liable parties that can pay for your treatment in case of a serious accident. Sometimes a driver that appears uninsured on the police report can have adequate insurance through their employer because the accident occurred in the course of their employment. If this is the case, you have the option to sue the driver and his/her company.
When our legal team gets to work, we do the following:
- Conduct in-depth investigations of the accident
- Analyze and preserve valuable evidence
- Obtain your medical records to determine your injuries and future health problems
- Work with qualified experts to maximize your case
We set up our law firm to represent victims of severe car crashes involved UM/UIM drivers in Illinois. Our attorneys understand the financial, emotional, and physical difficulties caused by these accidents. You can rely on them to rebuild your life and provide you with the legal representation you need.
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Does
Uninsured motorist coverage is incredibly valuable, and we strongly encourage all drivers to consider purchasing this as part of their insurance policy. Data available from the Insurance Information Institute indicates that approximately 12% of all drivers in Illinois are uninsured. This means that there is a more than one in ten chance that an accident will involve an uninsured driver in this state.
When you have uninsured motorist coverage as part of your policy, you will be able to file a claim with your own insurance carrier in the event you are struck by an uninsured driver. This is incredibly beneficial because the chances of recovering compensation from an uninsured driver through a personal injury lawsuit are slim. Additionally, if you are struck by a hit and run driver and that driver is not apprehended, you can still file a claim with your uninsured motorist policy.
What Underinsured Motorist Coverage Does for You
Underinsured motorist coverage is incredibly valuable, though many individuals choose not to carry this type of insurance. We strongly encourage you to look your insurance policy today and examine whether or not you have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Drivers in Illinois are required to maintain a certain level of insurance. Currently, this includes:
- Bodily injury liability: Minimum requirement of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: Minimum requirement of $20,000
When we look at these minimums, we can see that they are not very high. In the event you or a loved one are injured or sustain property damage in an accident caused by another driver, your injury and property damage expenses may quickly rise above the other driver’s minimums. For example, if you have to be rushed to the emergency room for a suspected head or neck injury, the emergency bills alone for one night can reach the $25,000 minimum per person that the other driver likely has. Additionally, suppose you are driving a new vehicle that sustains extensive property damage. It is not difficult to go above $20,000 in property damage.
If you have underinsured motorist coverage, you can turn to your own insurance carrier for compensation if the at-fault driver’s minimums are not adequate. For example, if you sustain $35,000 worth of bills due to an accident caused by another driver, but the other driver only has the minimum of $25,000 per person, your underinsured motorist coverage would kick in to pay the gap of $10,000 between the two amounts.
Time Limit to File a Claim
There are various deadlines that individuals need to be aware of when they file an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim. First, please understand that insurance carriers have very strict reporting deadlines. You need to report any accident to your own insurance carrier within a day or two after the incident occurs. Your insurance carrier will be responsible for initiating a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, if the other driver has an insurance carrier at all.
Additionally, if you have to file a civil personal injury lawsuit against another driver, you must do so within two years from the day the injury occurs. Failing to follow the Illinois personal injury statute of limitations two-year timeframe will likely result in a crash victim becoming unable to recover the compensation they are entitled to.
Contact an Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Attorney Today
If you’ve suffered from an injury in an auto crash and believe that the erring motorist does not have adequate insurance, come to us. We have the attorneys who know how to get results.
Call (312) 586-1700 to speak with one of our accident lawyers.