Every driver in Stone Mountain, and statewide, is required to carry a minimum amount of insurance coverage. This insurance helps car accident victims pay for medical expenses, property damage, and other losses after a car accident that was caused, at least in part, by their insured. Your own insurance company will have no role in most car accidents where you are not at fault.
Unfortunately, not everyone carries the car insurance that they are required to have. Or, the insurance coverage that they do have is too low to address all of your injuries. In those situations, you may be able to look to your own insurance company to help with those expenses under your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
But, your insurance company may not always be very helpful in providing you all of the coverage you deserve. That is when it may be time to call in a Stone Mountain car accident lawyer.
John Foy & Associates never works for insurance companies. We only work for victims. We have built out firm around confronting insurance companies and negotiating with them to get real people the payment they need.
In fact, we’ve been representing victims for over 25 years. Let us put that experience to work for you and give you a FREE consultation. Call us at 404-400-4000 and get your free consultation today.
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage? How do I Know If I Have It?
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UI/UIM) coverage provides an added layer of insurance coverage to you from your own insurance policy. Normally, the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage should pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses (either through a settlement or by taking the at-fault driver to court).
But, when the other driver doesn’t have insurance, they also rarely have enough money to cover these expenses out of pocket. That means that you need to find another way to pay for these losses, which is where your own insurance company steps in.
You aren’t required to carry uninsured motorist coverage in the City of Stone Mountain, or anywhere else in Georgia. But, insurance companies are required to offer it to you. That means that, although you have to pay extra for this type of insurance, you may have coverage and not even realize it. Check the declarations page of your auto insurance policy to see if you have uninsured/underinsured insurance.
If you have this type of coverage, you should talk to your insurance company as soon as you can after the accident. The other driver will usually tell you (or the police officer that responded to the accident) right away if they don’t have insurance.
Once you have this information, you should report that you were involved in a crash with an uninsured driver to your own insurance company. If you delay, you may not be able to use this type of coverage—so the sooner you report the crash, the better.
Why Would I Need a Lawyer to Deal With My Own Insurance Company?
Insurance companies want to save money by paying out as little as possible to those who actually need to use their policies, including their own policy-holders. Unfortunately, they can sometimes engage in some unfair or questionable practices to deny you coverage. Other reasons they may underpay you include:
- Your insurer may deny coverage when they don’t fully understand what happened with your accident.
- Insurance companies are experts at scrutinizing every expense very carefully, including your medical treatment. For example, they may provide coverage but only pay for specific procedures or follow up doctor visits.
- There may also be a dispute about which injuries were actually caused by the accident.
Although the insurance company is supposed to be helping you get through this confusing and often-difficult time, they may not have your best interests at heart. If they can save money by paying you less, even if they shouldn’t based on the language of your policy, they often will.
In any of these situations, an uninsured motorist accident lawyer can step in to assert your rights under the policy. Having an attorney on your side ensures that your insurance company doesn’t take advantage of you and provides you with all of the benefits under the plan that you are entitled to receive. After all, you have paid for coverage – you should get every penny.
What Are the Minimum Insurance Requirements in Georgia?
Uninsured motorist coverage is not mandatory in Georgia. Instead, you are only legally required to have the following minimum amounts of coverage:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death for one person in any accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death for two or more people in any one accident
- $25,000 for the destruction of property
Insurance companies are also required to offer you at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 total in uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury. Uninsured motorist coverage offered should also include at least $25,000 in property damage as well. These amounts are the same as the requirements for every driver. You must affirmatively reject this coverage—that is, you must “opt out” to not receive this type of policy.
You can, and often should, have more coverage than the minimum requirements. In severe accidents, minimum coverage amounts are used quickly. When you run out of insurance coverage, you must find a way to pay your own losses. This is particularly concerning in accidents that not only cause severe injuries but also lead to medical conditions that require ongoing treatment for the rest of your life.
Talk to a Stone Mountain Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer for Free
Dealing with your own insurance company can be just as frustrating as working with another driver’s company. But, you don’t have to go through this process alone. John Foy & Associates has your back, and we’ll work hard to ensure that you get every penny that you deserve – whether it’s from the other driver or your own insurance company.
Let us give you a FREE consultation. Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.
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