How does underinsured motorist coverage work?

This blog has spoken previously about how a negligent driver who causes a car accident will likely have to pay compensation to other people whom he or she injured. One problem that Alhambra and other residents of the greater Los Angeles area may have, though, is that the negligent driver may not be able to pay just because he or she does not have the money or assets to do so.

Moreover, these same drivers may also not have automobile insurance, even though the law requires them to do so. Many other drivers may well have insurance, but it is just enough to keep them legal to drive, and not nearly enough to pay the costs of a serious accident.

For these situations, California drivers typically purchase uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Although the concept can be quite complicated, the basic idea is that if another driver was at fault for an accident and does not have enough insurance to pay compensation, then the victim can go to his or her own insurance company to get all or part of the shortfall in compensation.

This coverage can prove to be a valuable tool, since getting compensated after an accident is often the difference between financial problems and being able to go on with one’s life, as much as possible, after an injury.

It is still often a good idea to have the help of an experienced personal injury attorney in filing and completing a claim for underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, as the insurance company may, rightly or wrongly, deny the claim or dispute how much money is owed.