Car accident claims can be complicated, particularly when the at-fault party does not have enough insurance coverage for the damages you suffered. Even if the other driver has the minimum amount of coverage, this may not be enough for the full value of your claim. In this type of situation, you may need to rely on your uninsured or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage to help pay for some of your damages.
If you were involved in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, such as a hit-and-run accident, our experienced car accident lawyers in Savannah at Roden Law may be able to help. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.
Common Reasons for UM/UIM Coverage
Georgia law requires all vehicle owners to maintain liability coverage in the following minimum amounts:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $25,000 per accident for property damage
Uninsured motorist coverage may kick in when the at-fault party in an accident does not have any auto insurance coverage to pay for the victim’s damages. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault party’s insurance coverage is not high enough to cover all the victim’s damages that stem from the accident.
One of the reasons when you may need to use your UM/UIM insurance is if you are injured in a hit and run accident. You can read more about these types of accidents here.
Insurance companies in Georgia are required to offer UM and UIM insurance coverage when you purchase your own insurance. You will have this coverage unless you rejected it in writing.
You can buy more than the minimum amount of UIM coverage required by law, as the minimum amount of coverage may not be enough to cover severe damages from an accident.
Add-On Versus Reduced-By Coverage
Add-on UIM coverage is what most drivers have. This coverage allows you to stack your UIM coverage on top of the amount of coverage in the negligent driver’s policy. For example, if the other driver has $50,000 in liability coverage and you have $75,000 in UIM coverage, you could stack them together for $125,000 in coverage.
Reduced-by coverage is non-stacking. That means you can only use your UIM coverage if it exceeds the other driver’s liability insurance limits. For example, if you had $25,000 in UM/UIM coverage and the driver had $25,000 in liability coverage, you would have no coverage under your UM/UIM policy, even if your damages exceeded this amount.
If you have $100,000 in non-stacking insurance and the at-fault driver has $25,000 in liability coverage, you would have $75,000 of coverage under your UM/UIM policy.
Contact Roden Law for Help
It is critical that you seek legal assistance after your car accident. An experienced lawyer from Roden Law may be able to manage the claim on your behalf, including dealing with insurance companies and investigating the crash.
Our lawyers have extensive experience with representing auto accident victims in Georgia and we know how to navigate UM and UIM claims.
We work on a contingency fee basis, so we do not get paid unless you recover compensation from your claim, so there is no risk for you to contact our firm for a free case review.