Are you stuck with medical bills and other expenses from an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist? If so, we advise you to speak with a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney about your legal options. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost wages, property damage, and more.
Colorado, along with most other states in the US, require drivers to carry liability auto insurance. The purpose of liability coverage is to protect innocent accident victims who find themselves injured and at a loss after an accident.
However, despite strict requirements for minimum auto insurance limits, not all drivers obey the law. This means in the event of an accident, many drivers don’t have sufficient coverage to cover damages, if any at all. The worst part is that many people don’t find this out until it’s too late – when they go to file a claim with the at fault driver’s insurance and find that they have insufficient coverage or none at all.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists in Colorado Springs
There are many reasons why people may not opt for auto insurance in Colorado Springs. Some may not be able to afford it, while others simply don’t find it important to be insured. Whatever their reasoning, when a person decides not to have insurance, they are considered an uninsured motorist. If they have insufficient coverage to cover all your accident damages, they are an underinsured motorist.
In the event of an accident, you won’t be able to file a claim with the underinsured or uninsured motorist’s insurance provider. Additionally, Colorado’s insurance minimums are often not enough to cover the extent of damages an injury victim experiences. In such instances, getting professional legal help through a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney can help the injured person to recover the full cost of damages and losses they incurred in the accident, even if the at fault party is uninsured or underinsured.
What Are My Legal Rights After Getting Injured by an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist in Colorado Springs?
After getting injured in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, you might need to make a claim through your own insurance company. This can be a complex claims process, so you’ll want to hire an experienced Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney to help maximize your recovery.
In a normal car accident, you would file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company for damages. However, when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may find yourself without proper coverage to cover all of your accident related expenses. If you’ve purchased uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your auto policy, you can file a claim through your own insurance.
If you don’t have UM/UIM coverage, you may need to pursue the driver personally for damage compensation. However, the most effective strategy is to seek legal counsel from a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney to assess your case and advise you on your legal options.
Colorado Springs Liability Insurance Minimums
By law in Colorado, all drivers must carry a minimum liability coverage amount of:
- $25,000 for bodily injuries
- $50,000 for each accident that covers multiple injured people
- $15,000 per accident for property damage
After a serious car accident, minimum insurance amounts seldom provide enough coverage to provide full financial recovery to injury victims. So remember, if you are considering UM/UIM coverage, the more you purchase, the more you’ll have if you get injured by an uninsured motorist.
Navigating Uninsured Motorist Accident Claims in Colorado Springs
Filing a UM/UIM motorist claim might require a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney in order to get full compensation. Attorneys are skilled negotiators whose job is to fight for their clients’ rights.
With UM/UIM claims, insurance companies often deny or undervalue claims in bad faith. If that’s the case, or there is no option for insurance coverage, it might be necessary to file a bad faith insurance claim.
Our Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney can assess your unique case circumstances and give you an honest opinion about the merits of your case. We can also help you file a bad faith insurance claim if you have valid grounds for that. You may then be entitled to collect the original award amount with penalties or fees paid by the insurer.
Uninsured Motorists Statistics in Colorado Springs
The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association reports that about 16.3% of Colorado drivers are uninsured, which is higher than the national average of 12.6%. That means nearly one in every five accidents will involve an uninsured or underinsured motorist. The average cost of accident injuries
Even a simple rear-end accident can become a nightmare when there is not enough insurance coverage and no one to file a claim against. The average cost of a car accident with injuries can cost up to $20,000 or more, depending on the medical treatment you require.
How do you Recover Damages After an Accident with an Uninsured Motorist?
You may be wondering how to get compensation after an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance. Since all insurance companies are legally required to offer uninsured/underinsured coverage to all policyholders. Therefore, you may have this coverage through your own insurance policy. Meaning you could file a claim through your own insurance company if you have UM/UIM coverage.
Most UM/UIM policies match your liability coverage. So for example. If you have the minimum amount in Colorado, you could potentially get $25,000, $50,000, and $15,000 for bodily injury, multiple injured parties, and property damage, respectively. Let’s consider a case example where the at-fault driver is underinsured. They may have a minimum coverage amount of $25,000, but it’s not enough to cover your damages. Then, you would also file a claim with your insurance UM/UIM policy for $25,000 and end up with a total of $50,000. If that’s still not enough to adequately compensate you for all your losses
The Claims Process Is Not Easier Just Because You File Acclaim With Your Own Company
There’s one huge issue that commonly occurs when injury victims try to file a claim with their own company for UM/UIM coverage – they often get undervalued or denied. At the end of the day, insurance companies work to protect their profits, and paying your UM/UIM claim takes money out of their pockets. So just because you make a claim with your own insurer, it doesn’t guarantee an easier process or even a fair offer.
Sadly, you can’t always count on your own insurer to protect you or offer you fair financial coverage. That’s why having a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney fighting in your corner will be invaluable to securing your right to fair compensation.
Contact a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney Today
All insurance companies will do everything they can to maximize their bottom line, even if that means shorting their own policyholders. But, a Colorado Springs Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Attorney can help you obtain the financial compensation you are entitled to.
If you are injured and stuck with other losses after an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist in Colorado Springs, we strongly suggest you consult with a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible.
We offer a free initial consultation so call us today.
