Vehicle Accident Attorneys: Under Or Uninsured
One reckless driver can completely upend your life. This can be particularly true if the reckless driver is under or uninsured.
Here are some of the ways that a vehicle accident attorney can help you when an under or uninsured driver hurts you.
Multi-Front Approach
Although most states require auto insurance policies to contain uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, the minimum for these policies tends to be low. When a reckless, uninsured, motorist decides to wreck your day, the UM minimum often will fall short of your total damages.
One of the benefits of working with a vehicle accident lawyer when you've been injured by an uninsured motorist is that you will have a legal team to unleash a multi-front attack to recover damages.
- Your Policies: when you hire a vehicle accident lawyer, their legal team may start by expediting and maximizing damages provided by your auto insurance and/or other insurance policies. Giving your legal team the power of attorney to negotiate with your insurance providers can expedite the recovery process, while also ensuring that your policies are maximized.
- The Reckless Driver: while your legal team is working with your insurance provider, they can begin work on securing assets from the reckless driver. Filing a lawsuit quickly can help your legal team begin staking claim to the uninsured driver's assets before they are able to transfer them to another individual and/or declare bankruptcy.
Criminal and Civil Suits
Reckless driving is a serious crime. The driver who hurt you will likely face criminal charges, which can end with a conviction and financial restitution. However, your vehicle accident legal team can also file a civil suit before the criminal case is settled.
- Criminal Prosecution: although your vehicle accident lawyer will not need to represent you during the criminal case (this will be handled by the District Attorney), having them on your side to prepare for depositions and other legal proceedings can be helpful. During the criminal proceedings, your vehicle accident attorney can ensure that your statements are factual and will not damage your case when it enters civil court.
- Civil Litigation: after a criminal case is decided, the victim of a crime will often pursue additional damages by filing a civil lawsuit. During the civil phase of your case, your vehicle accident attorney will argue for additional damages not provided by the criminal case. For uninsured drivers, this often means arguing for additional assets and other collateral.
Contact a vehicle accident lawyer for more information.