Sharing the road with other Illinois motorists involves the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash —and sustaining serious injuries– with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
- Hiring Chicago, IL Accident Lawyers
- Uninsured Driving Statistics in Illinois
- Applying Uninsured Motorist Coverage to A Common Chicago Auto Accident Case
- Hit-and-Run Car Accidents Equating to Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Claims
- Auto Accident Costs: Significant Source of Injury & Property Damage
- The Uninsured Motorist Claims Process
- Illinois Uninsured Motorist Car Accident Law FAQs
- Contact Our Illinois Uninsured Motorist Attorneys
An underinsured motorist lawyer from our law firm will help you recover compensation from the uninsured or underinsured motorist that caused your injuries.
Hiring Chicago, IL Accident Lawyers
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC knows the impact auto accidents with an uninsured motorist has on accident victims.
Our personal injury attorneys represent injured people in collisions with an underinsured or uninsured driver.
Our law office has successfully negotiated hundreds of insurance claims involving uninsured and underinsured motorists, recovering compensation for injured driver’s medical bills, emotional distress, and more.
Contact our car accident lawyers at (888) 424-5757 for a free no-obligation cosultation of your personal injury claim today with an experienced Chicago uninsured motorist lawyer.
Uninsured Driving Statistics in Illinois
Illinois requires all drivers to carry liability insurance coverage of at least $25,000 per incident (See 625 ILCS 5/7-601).
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), approximately 13% of all drivers on the road have no insurance coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage. The III estimates that Illinois drivers are even less likely to have insurance, with 13.7% of vehicle motorists in Illinois being uninsured.
Applying Uninsured Motorist Coverage to A Common Chicago Auto Accident Case
Anytime you or a family member is injured in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, you are covered under your uninsured motorist (UM) policy.
Illinois law requires your insurance company to offer you uninsured and underinsured motorist policy coverage in an amount equal to your liability coverage. (See 215 ILCS 5/143a)
All drivers in Illinois must maintain specified liability coverage, including bodily injury coverage for injuries or death to one or more people per accident.
Examples of everyday situations that may give rise to a Cook County UM claim to recover compensation for injured drivers:
- Injuries sustained as a passenger in a vehicle
- Injuries as a pedestrian or bicyclist
- Hit-and-run collisions
Hit-and-Run Car Accidents Equating to Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Claims
Many hit-and-run accidents often involve irresponsible uninsured or underinsured drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
While law enforcement officials might use forensic evidence to identify these offenders, most uninsured drivers have no assets to collect.
Consequently, an attorney can evolve a hit-and-run case into a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation from the other driver.
Injured victims hoping to effectuate coverage should contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer who handles uninsured or underinsured motorist cases to ensure the policy terms are enforced for full financial recovery.
Auto Accident Costs: Significant Source of Injury & Property Damage
The National Safety Council has compiled a list of how much an injury costs victims over a lifetime.
Since each injury is unique, it is difficult to know precisely what a devastating Chicago uninsured car accident will cost in medical expenses and lost wages.
These cost averages include the following:
- Motor vehicle death, $1,410,000
- Non-fatal injury, $70,200
- Disabling injury, $8,900
Considering the low minimum of $25,000 for liability insurance under Illinois law, it is evident that even if a driver has insurance, it may fall much short of even the “average” injury accident.
The Uninsured Motorist Claims Process
When you are involved in an accident, your best interests differ from those of your auto insurance carrier. In addition to paying less on claims, insurance carriers may also use the precise terms of your policy to deny the claim altogether.
If you do not present evidence to support it, your claim may be rejected as non-compliance under the car insurance policy terms.
When we are retained to prosecute your Chicago uninsured motorist case, our legal team begins to gather the evidence needed to prove your case. Frequently, it means:
- Ordering police reports
- Reviewing the language of every driver’s insurance policies
- Building a case against every auto insurance company
Once we have gathered the necessary evidence, we will work on negotiating a settlement with your insurance company to resolve an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim.
Illinois Uninsured Motorist Car Accident Law FAQs
Below are some questions raised by our clients with uninsured and underinsured motorist claims from car accidents in Chicago, IL.
If you have further questions, we welcome you to call us for a free consultation.
Can I Make a Claim Through My Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Any motorist involved in an accident and driving without adequate insurance might be required to pay damages out of pocket.
When you have confirmed that the other driver did not have an acceptable policy in effect at the time of your accident, you may be able to pursue a claim with your policy.
Does Collision Coverage Cover Injuries Sustained by an Accident with an Uninsured Motorist?
Only uninsured motorist coverage on your insurance policy will pay for your damages and injuries should an uninsured motorist crash into your vehicle.
What Happens When the Other Person Doesn’t Have Insurance?
If you are found to be responsible for the accident, your insurance coverage will pay for the damages involved in the collision up to the limitation of insurance policies.
You can recover damages through your uninsured motorist insurance on your policy if you have purchased the “rider.” Your insurance company will pay for injuries, and wrongful death, up to the limit of the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
What Happens in Uninsured Truck Driver Accidents?
When an uninsured truck driver hits you, various entities may be liable for damages.
However, you should consider the liable party’s assets before filing a lawsuit. Without driver’s insurance or minimal policy limits, the party at fault might not have any significant assets to satisfy a judgment against them.
Uninsured motorist coverage pays all accident victims’ damages, including injuries and wrongful death.
Each crash is unique, as are all accident victims’ injuries. Unfortunately, policy limits could result in insufficient funds to pay all damages. However, with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, car occupants in a crash are also covered under the injured driver’s own insurance carrier.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: What is The Difference?
Insurance companies hope these issues of uninsured and underinsured motorist policies confuse you so much that it discourages you from filing a claim with them for your injury case.
The best way to explain an uninsured or underinsured driver is to use an example:
- Situation #1: You are in a motorist accident with an uninsured at-fault driver who strikes your vehicle causing $50,000 of damage to your car and bodily injury. In this case, you have an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance company since the other driver is missing (or does not have their own insurance policy coverage).
- Situation #2: Similar to the above, another driver hits you and causes $50,000 of damage to your vehicle and bodily injury, but the at-fault driver is identified and has $25,000 in coverage. This situation involves another underinsured driver. Therefore, you have an underinsured motorist claim with your carrier because they never purchased underinsured motorist coverage.
Contact Our Illinois Uninsured Motorist Attorneys
The experienced Chicago car accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC regularly negotiate uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) claims for injury or death throughout Chicago, Illinois.
It is essential to have a personal injury advocate with experience who can maximize your automobile insurance claim to ensure a successful resolution.
Before you speak to your insurance company about a potential underinsured or uninsured motorist claim, contact our uninsured car accident lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form for a free consultation and insurance claim evaluation.
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay our uninsured motorist lawyers unless we recover compensation for your personal injury claim.
