Being involved in a car accident can have a major impact on your life. You risk suffering serious and life-threatening injuries, you are burdened financially with medical bills, you may not be able to work to provide for your family, and you sure aren’t going to make it wherever you were heading – anytime soon.
What makes car accidents even worse is finding out that the at-fault driver had inadequate insurance or no insurance coverage at all.
Unfortunately, this happens all too often. Nearly 12.6% of drivers across the United States are uninsured or do not have adequate insurance coverage. This can drastically limit accident victims’ abilities to recover compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, and lost income.
If you have been injured in an automobile accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is crucial for you to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Utah as soon as possible to help determine what options you have for recovering the compensation you deserve.
Automobile Insurance Requirements In Utah
In Utah, all drivers are required to maintain auto liability insurance coverage at all times while operating a vehicle. The state mandates that drivers maintain a minimum insurance policy in the amounts of $15,000/$25,000/$65,000. This is broken down to include:
- $25,000 per person or $65,000 per accident. This amount covers bodily injury to drivers and passengers who were injured in accidents caused by at-fault drivers.
- $15,000 per accident for property damage. This coverage protects a driver from damage that he or she may have caused to other vehicles or drivers’ property during an accident.
In addition, drivers are required to purchase $3,000 in coverage for personal injury protection and are able to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Individuals who do not meet the minimum insurance requirements are considered uninsured drivers. If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, it is crucial to contact Siegfried & Jensen as soon as possible. You still may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and damages.
For a free legal consultation, call (801) 266-0999
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
In Utah, insurance companies are obligated to provide drivers with the option to purchase uninsured motorist coverage. The minimum amount recommended under Utah law is $25,000 per person and $65,000 per accident.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be purchased to protect drivers and their passengers in the event that they become involved in an automobile accident caused by an at-fault driver who does not have adequate insurance coverage.
There are several types of uninsured motorist coverage available.
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage
This type of insurance is intended to cover a driver and their passengers from any bodily injuries during an accident that are caused by an uninsured driver. This coverage will provide compensation for medical treatments, up to the policy limit. This type of policy covers:
- Medical expenses;
- Loss of income;
- Pain and suffering; and
- Funeral Expenses, in some cases.
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage
This type of insurance coverage provides reimbursement for damage to your property caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers. This insurance coverage will provide repayment to repair or replace your vehicle, and cover any other property that was damaged in an accident caused by an uninsured at-fault driver.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
This type of coverage is generally purchased alongside a standard UM policy. It has the same limitations in the amount that you can be compensated. To recover damages from an underinsured motorist policy, the damages you sustained must be higher than the limit on the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.
This type of insurance is designed to compensate drivers for damages that are uncovered by at-fault driver’s insurance policies. It is crucial for you to contact a car accident attorney to help you with your claim.
Statute Of Limitations
If you are filing an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim in Utah, you must follow the state’s three-year statute of limitations for single party claims. This law provides victims three years from the date of the accident (UM claims) or three years from the date of settlement with the at-fault insurance company (UIM claims) for claimants to collect financial reimbursement for their injuries and damages.
This statute of limitations provides adequate time for injury victims to exercise all litigation routes possible to recover compensation from the at-fault party. Should they exhaust all legal routes and are still unable to recover compensation, they can file a claim against their own insurance policy to recover the remaining amount. Insurance companies are often reluctant to pay money, even to their own policyholders. In order to ensure you recover the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries and damages, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
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A Salt Lake City Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You With An Uninsured Motorist Claim
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming. Not only do victims face stacking medical expenses, but they are often unable to work and forced to undergo extensive medical treatments. Finding out the at-fault driver has inadequate insurance coverage just makes matters even worse.
Thankfully, a driver’s lack of adequate insurance coverage does not always prevent accident victims from recovering compensation for their injuries and damages. At Siegfried & Jensen, we help accident victims receive repayment for their injuries and damages by filing a claim against their own uninsured motorist policy.
Having these funds available to alleviate the financial burdens victims face enables them to focus on their recovery and take care of other financial obligations. Contact our law firm today at (801) 845-9000 to schedule a free consultation. We are determined to help you recover the compensation you deserve.
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