By Osborne & Francis
October 25, 2023

Boca Raton Car Accident Lawyer Do I Need Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage protects you if you’re in an accident with a driver with little or no insurance, reports Boca Raton car accident lawyer.

Boca Raton car accident lawyer Joseph Osborne at Osborne & Francis recommends that you should buy as much as you can afford or as much as your insurance company will sell you. It’s critical you obtain this coverage in as large an amount as possible because the chances are good that if you get into an accident involving another driver that, person will be carrying little or no insurance.

Car accident claims are largely driven by money that can be obtained from insurance companies. Because of the contract between an insurance company and a policyholder the company agrees to provide a legal defense and to cover liabilities to certain amounts under a certain set of circumstances. If a person has no insurance or not much coverage, pursuing this person through the legal system may not be fruitful if they have few assets or little or no income, report the Boca Raton car accident lawyers at Osborne & Francis.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is the least understood form of automobile insurance coverage. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is protection you buy in case the negligence of another person causes you (or your passengers) harm but they lack insurance or they don’t have enough coverage to satisfy your damages and losses.

It’s essentially coverage that you buy not to cover liabilities that you may cause through your negligence, but to cover any other drivers who, through their negligence, damage your vehicle or injure you or the passengers in your vehicle. If they have no insurance or not enough coverage for your claims, you can use the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage you bought to protect yourself in this situation.

In this situation you would bring a claim to your insurance carrier to cover the harm caused by the other driver. If your carrier refuses all or part of your claim and a settlement can’t be reached you would be in the situation where you could hire a car accident lawyer to sue your insurance company to cover the harm done by someone they don’t (directly) insure.This coverage may be the most valuable coverage that you can purchase. About a quarter of drivers in Florida lacked car insurance as of 2011, reports the Sun Sentinel. The Insurance Research Council estimates the state has the fifth highest rate of uninsured motorists in the U.S., despite a state law requiring every driver to carry minimum limits of liability insurance coverage.

We always advise our clients to purchase the maximum uninsured motorist coverage that the insurer will sell to them, which generally is limited to the amount of liability insurance carried, and to always check the box that allows “stacking,” which multiplies the amount of coverage for every car in the insured’s household, thus doubling or tripling the uninsured motorist limits.

If you have questions about uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage or due to a vehicle accident you or a family member have been injured by someone without insurance or who has insufficient coverage, contact our office to talk with a Boca Raton car accident lawyer. We can talk about the accident, your insurance coverage and your options for obtaining compensation for your injuries. Call us now at (561) 293-2600.

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Quick and fair resolution to a unique case. On advice of my own attorney, I engaged Joseph Osborne of Osborne & Francis of Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Osborne had considerable experience in cases such as mine and the results showed that. Mr. Osborne and his staff were very helpful, kept me up to date, and listened to my input. The settlement was very fair as far as I am concerned.

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“Attorneys Greg Francis and Ryan Fletcher at Osborne & Francis Law Firm represented me in my personal injury case.The defendant drew a line in the sand and was adamant on a settlement amount I was almost willing to accept. After the dust settled and the smoke cleared, we settled for 3 times that amount!!! When they say ‘Real Tough Lawyers,’ they mean it.”

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