What Is Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
As a vehicle owner, you are legally required to have liability insurance on your car, truck or motorcycle. Liability coverage pays for the damage and injuries you cause to others if you are involved in an accident. It does not cover you.
Under Section 11580.2 of the California Insurance Code, insurance companies must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to their policyholders. You are not required to buy it. If you choose not to buy it (or the company does not want to sell it to you), you must specifically decline it and fill out a special form.
The minimum uninsured/underinsured motorist policy a California insurance company can sell is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident (30/60). While this may seem adequate when you are considering a manageable monthly insurance payment, when you are faced with a large medical bill, you will soon see that $30,000 does not go very far.
When Does Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage Apply?
Your uninsured and underinsured coverage will kick in only if:
- You are in an accident with a driver who has no insurance.
- You are injured and the other driver’s insurance is inadequate to cover your expenses and your policy limits are higher than his or hers.
- You are hurt in a hit-and-run accident where there was actual physical contact with the vehicle and a police report was filed within 24 hours of the accident.
Who Is Covered By My Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Policy?
Your uninsured and underinsured policy will cover you, the named insured and any relatives who reside with you, even if they don’t drive. This means your spouse and dependent children are covered. If you have an elderly parent living with you, he or she is covered, too. If you have a child away at college, your home is still considered his or her legal residence so your student would be covered under your uninsured motorist policy.
How Much Will UM/UIM Coverage Pay?
Uninsured motorist coverage is fairly straightforward. If the other driver had no insurance, your UM/UIM policy will pay your bills, up to the limits of the policy you purchased.
Get The Compensation You Need From Your San Francisco Underinsured Motorist Coverage
At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, our focus is on helping injured people get full and fair payment from their California uninsured motorist insurance coverage. If you were hurt by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, contact our San Francisco law firm to schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer.
To speak with a Walkup lawyer to discuss your case, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact the Walkup firm online. We handle cases throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Concord and Santa Clara.
