Auto Insurance Claims: ins limits vs medical bills, uninsured motorist claims, uninsured motorist coverage

Question
our daughter was injured in an auto accident - she was a passenger.  the insurance company has offered the limits of the policy but that does not cover medical bills much less any pain and suffering she should be entitled to receive.  how often does this happen and does the ins company normally concede and have to pay more than the limits?

Answer
Hi Donna,

I hope your daughter will be ok.

Unfortunately, this does happen all the time.  The liability limit is the amount of coverage that the other person purchased. When the limit is reached, there is no more coverage. The insurance company will not pay out more than the available coverage.

This is where it can get a little tricky.  If you have uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy, you may be able to collect the balance of your claim from your own insurance policy. However there are very specific things that must be done to protect your daughter rights.  I would highly recommend that you seek the advice of a local attorney to assist you in this matter. Uninsured motorist claims can be very difficult and require that you not accept any mony or sign any documents from the other insurance company.

YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY SEEK THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh