Car accidents in the state of Georgia are a common occurrence. In fact, between 2008 and 2015, Georgia’s average crash rate was over 317,000 each year. As a result of these accidents, there were thousands of people who lost their loved ones. The individuals who were fortunate enough to survive these encounters sustained serious injuries and property damage. While any accident causes hardship and inconvenience, many individuals become particularly frustrated after finding out the person who caused the accident did not have insurance or did not have enough insurance to cover their damages. If you or your loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident or incident and have questions about your right to relief, contact Persons Firm today.
Uninsured v. Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Simply because an at-fault party could not pay for all or part of your damages does not mean that you are not entitled to relief. The state of Georgia requires insurance companies to provide motorists with the option to purchase uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Both of these optional coverage plans are added on to your existing policy to protect you in the event the responsible party cannot pay for your damages. These policies apply to many scenarios, including:
- Car accidents in which the responsible party does not have insurance.
- Car accidents that result in more damages than the responsible party’s insurance company will pay.
- Hit-and-Run drivers who cannot be located.
- Accidents involving pedestrians.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage protects not only the driver of the vehicle, but any occupants of the vehicle at the time of the accident. Many insurance companies outline terms of coverage or restrictions which require compliance before a payout is made. If you or your loved one maintains either uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage but your insurance company denies the claim, you need to contact the Persons Firm to obtain quality legal assistance to get the relief you deserve.
Types of Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
There are two different types of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that you can obtain through your insurance carrier.
- Non-stacking is one type of coverage that allows you use the plan if the amount of your coverage and the amount of your damages exceeds the amount of liability coverage the at-fault driver maintains. For example, this plan could be used if your policy covers $50,000, but the at-fault driver’s insurance policy only allows a maximum disbursement of $25,000. If you sustained $50,000 in damages, you could file a claim against your policy for the remaining $25,000.
- Stacking is the other type of coverage available to motorists. This type of coverage is available so long as your damages exceeds the amount of liability coverage the at-fault driver maintains. For example, this plan could be used if you are in an accident and have sustained $30,000 in damages but the at-fault driver’s insurance policy only allows a maximum disbursement of $25,000. Even if your policy only covers $25,000, you will be able to retrieve the additional $5,000 by filing a claim against your insurance company.
Contact Persons Firm
If you or your loved one have been involved in an accident or incident and you are unsure of what rights to relief you may have, contact an attorney at Persons Firm today.