Posted on Monday, January 6th, 2020 at 6:16 am
January is an excellent time to review your car insurance coverage. Many people carry minimum car insurance coverage in California. However, what you consider “full” coverage may not protect you fully if you are in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Keep reading to learn more about car insurance requirements and what you may want to consider from an experienced Sacramento car accident attorney.
What Are The Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in California?
Drivers in California are required by law to provide proof of financial responsibility to operate a motor vehicle. Most drivers choose to purchase minimum vehicle liability insurance to satisfy this requirement.
Currently, the minimum vehicle liability insurance required in California to satisfy financial responsibility requirements is:
- $15,000 in liability insurance for injury or death to one person
- $30,000 in liability insurance for injury or death to multiple persons in one accident
- $5,000 in property damage liability insurance
Drivers can purchase higher coverage amounts if they desire. Insurance companies must also include minimum amounts of uninsured motorist coverage with policies; however, drivers can waive uninsured motorist coverage.
Why You Need Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
California is an at-fault state. The driver who causes the car accident is responsible for compensating victims for their injuries and damages. Liability car insurance is the method used to compensate accident victims in most cases. However, not all drivers obey the law.
If an uninsured driver injures you, your recourse is to sue the driver. However, if the driver does not have car insurance, the driver probably does not have money or property to pay a personal injury judgment. Therefore, you are responsible for your financial losses and damages, even though you did not cause the car accident.
Uninsured motorist coverage can help.
How Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Help Me?
If an uninsured driver causes your motor vehicle accident, you can file an insurance claim against your car insurance coverage. Your insurance company stands in the place of the uninsured driver. Once you prove that the other driver caused the accident, your insurance provider should compensate you for your injuries, losses, and damages up to the policy limits of your UM policy. Keep in mind that you must prove that the other driver caused the crash, and you must substantiate your claim of damages with evidence to recover compensation for an uninsured motorist insurance claim.
Do I Need a Sacramento Car Accident Attorney to File an Uninsured Motorist Claim?
You are not required to hire an attorney to help you with your UM claim. However, an attorney can be very helpful. Remember, you are filing an insurance claim. You might be dealing with your insurance provider, but it is still an insurance provider. It will seek to pay as little to settle your claim as possible.
A personal injury lawyer can help you by investigating the crash, gathering evidence proving fault, documenting your damages, calculating the value of your claim, and negotiating with the insurance company or a fair settlement amount.
Contact The Tiemann Law Firm by calling (916) 999-9000 or by visiting our website to schedule a free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers in Sacramento.
