Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist

Phoenix Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer

Arizona Injury Lawyers for Uninsured or Underinsured Driver Car Accidents

Like many states, Arizona has a law that requires all motorists to carry insurance. Despite this, an estimated 14% of all drivers in the U.S. do not have any insurance coverage, and many more do not carry sufficient liability insurance to cover all their victims’ medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages in a serious accident.

If you are involved in a collision with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, it can be extremely difficult to receive full compensation. Without the ability to collect full damages from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, you may be left uncompensated for lost income and have to pay your medical expenses out of your own pocket.

However, if you have uninsured motorist [UM] and underinsured motorist [UIM] coverages on your auto policy, you are entitled to receive compensation from your own insurance company. As Arizona injury lawyers who have been helping accident victims in Maricopa County and throughout Arizona for more than 30 years, Solomon and Relihan have the experience to help you receive full compensation for your injuries, whether from the at-fault driver’s insurance company or your own.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverages are some of the most important types of insurance coverage you can have. Although insurance companies have been hesitant to offer this coverage, Arizona law requires insurance companies to offer you this important protection when you buy automobile liability coverage, and have you sign a waiver if you choose not to purchase it.

You are permitted to purchase UM and UIM coverage in any amount, up to the same dollar limits as your auto liability coverage. But where liability coverage is intended to protect someone you might injure while driving a car, UM and UIM coverages are intended to protect you and your family.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage for Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

If you or someone in your family is injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist while on foot or on a bicycle, your UM and UIM coverages continue to provide protection. In many cases, your UM/UIM coverage will cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering in pedestrian and bicycle accidents. That is because UM/UIM coverage is “portable,” meaning it follows you and your family members whether you are in your car or not. In fact, as the Arizona Supreme Court has observed, the coverage applies even if you are “relaxing in the front porch swing.”

If you have been involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, it is best to talk with an experienced attorney. For a free initial consultation with a lawyer about your car accident, contact our Phoenix law firm by e-mail or by telephone. For your convenience, home and hospital visits are available upon request.