Getting the Most Out of Your Uninsured Motorist Insurance
Oregon law requires drivers to carry a minimum of $25,000 in liability coverage. Any serious accident is likely to generate damages far in excess of this amount — a crash resulting in permanent brain damage or paralysis can require hundreds of thousands or even millions to cover the full range of the victim's losses.
As a result, most people injured in car accidents need to understand how uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage works. There's a good chance you'll need to reach these benefits under your own auto insurance policy if you've been seriously hurt in an accident.
Call 866-785-6625 for Help With Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Benefits
Contact Miller & Wagner in Portland for a lawyer's advice about the best ways to get the full benefit of your own UM/UIM coverage whenever the other driver's liability insurance will fall short of what you need to collect on your claims.
Our attorneys educate people about rights they often don't even know they had. In a serious accident case, the other driver's insurance limit is usually the starting point for your financial recovery, not the end of the story.
Most drivers buy UM/UIM coverage from their own auto insurers, which are required to offer at least $25,000 of such benefits whenever they sell you a policy. Smart drivers buy as much UM/UIM as they can comfortably afford. It's inexpensive and it can make a huge difference if you're injured by an uninsured driver or someone carrying the minimum liability coverage. Your uninsured motorist benefits will also protect you if you're struck by a hit-and-run driver or someone who produces false identification at the accident scene.
You can run into the same problems with your own insurer on UM/UIM claims as you can with the other driver's insurance company when you're settling personal injury claims. The more coverage you have, the greater the likelihood that you'll need to document your damages claims in detail, often with the help of qualified experts. At Miller & Wagner, our familiarity with the development and presentation of expert testimony can protect you from inadequate offers and unfair settlement practices.
We Can Advise You About Your Rights Under Your PIP Benefits
Our law firm also helps people avoid and resolve problems under the no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) provisions of their car insurance policies. These are meant to cover medical expenses and lost income to the extent of the coverage limits without regard to the fault of either driver. Because medical treatment decisions are often insurance-driven, we can help make sure that your insurer isn't cutting corners on your treatment for the sake of its own profit margin.
For more information about our ability to protect your interests in disputes with your own car insurance company, contact Miller & Wagner in Portland for a free consultation.
