Injured in a Dallas Car Wreck Caused by an Uninsured Driver?

Injured in a Dallas Car Wreck Caused by an Uninsured Driver?

Any experienced Dallas personal injury and wrongful death lawyer worth their salt will tell you that having uninsured motorist coverage on your insurance policy is an absolute must. Despite the fact that it is illegal to drive without insurance in Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) estimates that as much as 20% of drivers in the state do not carry any form of auto insurance. If you are hit by one of these drivers and do not have uninsured motorist coverage, then the cost of your medical bills and all other accident-related expenses are going to come out of your own pocket.

Given the expensive rates doctors and hospitals charge, you want to avoid that if you can. As a DFW car wreck attorney, I know that unpaid medical care is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the USA. I’m not an insurance salesman, I’m a lawyer. In my mind, the small price of adding uninsured motorist coverage to your monthly premium is absolutely worth it.
Uninsured motorist coverage can also protect you if you are involved in a multi-vehicle collision where the other driver flees the crash scene and the police are unable to trace them. It may also be used if you are injured in a pedestrian or bicycle accident caused by a hit and run driver.

It is also important to note that the state minimum insurance liability in Texas is $30,000. That’s the total amount of liability coverage which all motorists are required to carry by state law. Unfortunately, that is rarely sufficient in most serious bodily injury accidents. Texas law gives you the right to seek monetary damages for all medical bills already incurred and those expected in the future (ongoing physical therapy or chiropractic treatment, prescription drugs, etc.) as well as reimbursement for any lost income, wage and salary; plus compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced as a result of your injuries. Assuming that the negligent driver at fault for your wreck only has state minimum liability, that $30,000 will be gone in no time, still leaving you out of pocket despite the fact your accident was someone else’s fault. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you can also use it to “top up” your settlement when the other driver’s insurance is insufficient. For this purpose, it will be referred to as underinsured motorist coverage.

You may have uninsured motorist coverage (sometimes referred to as either UM, UIM or UMBI coverage) without realizing it. By law, all insurance companies are required to offer it to you when you take out a policy with them. The only way that you can decline the extra coverage is by physically signing a rejection declaration form which your insurance provider will mail you soon after you take out your policy. If your insurance provider cannot prove that you opted out of receiving uninsured motorist coverage then they are required by law to provide you with the minimum limits of uninsured (or underinsured) motorist coverage.

If you are unsure of what insurance policies exist that you may be able to make a claim against, call the Dallas car wreck lawyers at Guajaro & Marks, LLP at 972-774-9800.