Southern California Injury Lawyer Blog
When someone is injured in a California car accident, the initial focus is on recovering from the physical and emotional injuries caused by the accident. However, once those heal, the financial stress of the accident begins to set in. Often, an accident victim has missed work and has mounting medical expenses that must be paid.
In the vast majority of car accident cases, one of the parties involved has car insurance that can provide compensation for a victim’s injuries. Indeed, under California law, all motorists are required to carry a certain amount of liability insurance to cover the costs of an injury that the driver causes. This mandatory coverage, however, does not necessarily cover the costs incurred by the insured if the at-fault driver does not have insurance. For that type of protection, uninsured motorist protection must be purchased.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Protection
As noted above, the bare-bones insurance requirement in California does not mandate that a driver insures against an accident caused by an underinsured or uninsured motorist. However, all insurance companies are required to offer this type of insurance. Uninsured motorist insurance protects drivers and passengers in the event that the at-fault driver does not have insurance coverage or has inadequate coverage limits to fully compensate an accident victim for their injuries.
What To Do After an Accident
When someone is involved in a car accident, they may file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. Or, if the driver did not have insurance, the claim can be filed with the driver’s own insurance company, as long as the driver has uninsured motorist protection. However, once a claim is filed, the insurance company must approve it.
Insurance companies are based on a for-profit model and rely on paying out less in claims than they take in through insurance premiums. Thus, these companies are notorious for denying claims outright or offering desperate accident victims low-ball settlement offers in hopes of resolving the case for as little money as possible.
It is important that car accident victims understand that they do not have to accept an insurance company’s low-ball offer or denial of their claim. Indeed, accident victims are encouraged to consult with a dedicated California personal injury attorney before agreeing to waive any claim against an insurance company.
Have You Been Injured in a California Car Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a California car accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. More often than not, such compensation would come from either your own insurance company or the company that insured the at-fault driver. Do not let a savvy insurance adjuster convince you to settle your claim until you have spoken to one of the dedicated Southern California personal injury attorneys at Sharifi Firm. At Sharifi Firm, we make sure that our clients are treated fairly by insurance companies. If an insurance company refuses to be fair, we will not hesitate to take your case to trial. To learn more, call 866-422-7222 to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Southern California personal injury attorney today.
More Blog Posts:
California Court Discusses Potentially Conflicting Witness Testimony, Southern California Injury Lawyer Blog, January 5, 2018
Third-Party Workers’ Compensation Claims in California, Southern California Injury Lawyer Blog, December 26, 2017