If you were in an accident with another driver who doesn’t have insurance, you may still be able to recover compensation through your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. When the at-fault driver has no applicable insurance, your UM coverage steps in to pay for your injuries, essentially standing in the place of the liability coverage the other driver should have carried.
An auto accident lawyer in St. Louis will pursue financial compensation for the injuries you sustained.
Reach out at (314) 300-6260 or contact our firm online.
What Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Pay For?
UM coverage pays the bodily injury damages you could have recovered from the at-fault driver, including:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care (scans such as MRIs, etc…)
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Other bodily injury damages allowed under Missouri law
UM coverage generally applies to bodily injury, not automatically to vehicle damage. Repairs to your car are typically handled through collision coverage or, if you purchased it, uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri law requires every auto insurance policy to include uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage with minimum limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. You cannot legally purchase a Missouri auto policy without it. However, those minimums may not cover all of your losses. Going to the hospital and having surgery or needing follow up treatment could easily surpass those limits pretty quickly.
Can You Sue an Uninsured Driver Personally?
If the driver doesn’t have insurance and your UM coverage is too low to cover all of your losses, you can sue the driver personally. The practical question is whether the driver has assets or income that can actually be collected. Some people who don’t have insurance on their vehicles are in that situation because they don’t have the money to pay for it.
This means filing a lawsuit against them could end up being fruitless. Winning and actually being able to collect on the judgement are entirely different things. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying to file a lawsuit, but it’s something you should discuss with a St. Louis uninsured motorist lawyer to see if it makes sense.
Do You Have to Make a Claim Against Your Own Insurance Company?
Yes, if you are using uninsured motorist coverage, the claim is filed with your own insurer. Your insurance company will investigate who caused the crash, whether your injuries were actually caused by the accident, the medical treatment you received, and the amount of your damages.
A UM claim can become disputed even though it is against your own insurer. The company may argue you share fault for the crash, question the necessity of your treatment, or offer less than the claim is worth. Being a paying policyholder entitles you to the coverage you purchased, but it does not guarantee the insurer will agree with you about what that coverage owes.
Talk to a Missouri Car Accident Lawyer
UM claims put you in the unusual position of negotiating against your own insurance company, which has every incentive to minimize what it pays. Before accepting the insurer’s valuation of your claim, talk to a Missouri car accident lawyer about what your injuries are actually worth.
Consultations are free, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation in your case.
Reach out today at (314) 300-6260.