Uninsured Motorist Car Accidents in Los Angeles and San Bernardino
Hurt in a Crash With an Uninsured Driver in Southern California? Our Law Firm Can Help!
At The Law Firm of Oscar A. Ischiu, Esq., we work throughout Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties to help car accident victims who are injured by the negligence of another driver. We know how a serious car accident can disrupt your life and your livelihood, and we strive to make sure you are taken care of and get all the compensation you need to deal with your physical injuries, emotional distress, and other legal damages like the loss in quality of life or disability brought on by a severe crash.
Most car accident claims are settled with the other driver’s insurance company, either in or out of court. When the negligent driver is uninsured, though, the situation becomes a little more complicated. We can help by filing an uninsured motorist (UM) claim with your insurance company and making sure they treat you well. We work just as hard on UM claims as we do on third-party liability claims because we know how critical it is that you get the right amount of compensation to handle the myriad of expenses and challenges a car accident brings on.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident in Los Angeles or San Bernardino County and the other driver doesn’t have insurance, call The Law Firm of Oscar A. Ischiu, Esq. to find out how we can help you get the care and compensation you need and deserve after being injured through another driver’s negligence.
How Uninsured Motorist Claims Work in California
All California drivers are required by law to carry liability insurance that will pay damages if they get into a wreck and cause personal injury or property damage to another. The minimum coverage drivers must carry are $15,000 for personal injury to one person, $30,000 for personal injury to more than one person in a single accident, and $5,000 in property damage.
Although these coverage amounts are very low compared to other states, California car insurance premiums are very high. Whether due to the cost or other reasons, many drivers in the state break the law and drive without insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute figures for 2019, 16.6% of drivers in California are uninsured, ranking the Golden State #10 for having the highest percentage of uninsured motorists in the country.
If you get hit by one of these uninsured drivers, you do have options. For instance, you can file a claim with your insurance company under your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Insurance companies are required by law to offer UM coverage when issuing liability policies, and unless you affirmatively rejected it, it’s included in your policy. UM will pay for your injuries and damage up to the policy limits you purchased. Typically, however much liability coverage you carry, that’s how much UM coverage you have as well. We recommend you buy as much UM coverage as you can afford to protect yourself; the cost is only a fraction of your overall premium.
Just because you file a UM claim with “your” insurance company, don’t make the mistake of thinking they will treat you better than if they were representing the other driver. Whenever insurance companies are faced with claims, they take steps to minimize their exposure. This means they will avoid liability if they can or pay out as little as they can get away with. Insurance companies are split between their duty to pay claims to their insureds and their duty to maximize profits for their shareholders. The Law Firm of Oscar A. Ischiu, Esq. only has one duty and that’s to you alone. Our goal is to get you the most compensation to make up for the harm that has been done to you. Also, our fees are tied to the amount we recover for you, so you know we’ll work as hard as we can to get you the best result.
UM coverage also comes with Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. The two types of insurance are typically packaged together as UM/UIM. UIM will help you if the other driver is insured but your damages exceed their policy limits. Imagine if your damages are $30,000, but the other driver only has the $15,000 minimum coverage required by law. If you have more than $15,000 in UIM coverage, your policy will cover the amount over $15,000 up to your policy limits. We’ll work with both companies to ensure your claims are satisfactorily settled and paid.
Another benefit of UM coverage is that it can be used if you are hit by a hit-and-run driver who doesn’t stop or flees the scene before you can get their information. Hit-and-run accidents are on the rise, making UM coverage more valuable than ever.
What if I Don’t Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
In the event the other driver is uninsured and you had previously rejected UM coverage, there is still the option of suing the negligent driver personally. They might have other types of insurance that come into play and even if they don’t, we can secure a judgment against them and collect against them personally if they own any property or are steadily employed, or if they later come into money through an inheritance, for instance.
Some attorneys won’t take an accident case unless there is sufficient insurance coverage behind it. At The Law Firm of Oscar A. Ischiu, Esq., we work for you and want to see that you are taken care of. Call us for a consultation to discuss your situation, and we’ll let you know if we think you have a case worth pursuing.
Call Now After a Crash With an Uninsured Motorist in Los Angeles or San Bernardino
If you or a loved one here hurt in a car crash with a negligent driver in Los Angeles or San Bernardino, call The Law Firm of Oscar A. Ischiu, Esq. for a consultation. We are available to take your call and are fluent in both Spanish and English. There’s no fee if we can’t recover for you, so call today to schedule a consultation over the phone or computer or at our offices in West Covina, Ontario or Monrovia.
