Getting Financial Recovery For Passengers Hurt By Uninsured Drivers
If you have purchased a UM/UIM policy or if you are covered under the policy of another driver in your home (a spouse, domestic partner, parent or child), your policy will pay for injuries caused by an uninsured motorist when you are:
- Riding in a taxi that is hit by an uninsured driver. Taxis and other commercial vehicles are not required to carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. You can bring a claim against the taxi company only if the taxi driver or taxi company was at fault in some way. (Even then, you may have a difficult time getting compensation. See the public transit injury website of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger to learn more about financial recovery in taxi accidents.)
- Riding in a private or public transit bus. Again, as a commercial vehicle, the bus is not required to have uninsured motorist coverage so your own policy must cover your injuries if the bus driver was not at fault. (Learn more about recovering compensation in public or private bus accident cases at our other website.)
- A passenger in a private vehicle. When you are a passenger in a car or truck, there are two scenarios in which you must rely on your own uninsured or underinsured liability coverage. One of those situations is if the driver is at fault and does not have enough liability coverage. The other is if the driver is not at fault, but does not have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to protect you. In either situation, you must rely on your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage as your only source for compensation.
If you suffered injuries in a collision with an uninsured motorist, be sure you understand your legal rights. Talk with the California passenger accident attorneys at the San Francisco offices of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger.
If you don’t know if you are covered under an insurance policy, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact the Walkup firm online.
