Have Your Case Reviewed by Our Underinsured Motorist Attorney for FREE
We can arrange a free consultation with our underinsured motorist lawyer whenever it is comfortable for our client. There are no fees or up-front costs. We only get paid when we win your case. Our lawyers can explain your options and work with the liable parties to see that you are compensated for your losses and injuries.
We are an Award-Winning Underinsured Motorist Accident Law Firm
The Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey law firm has over thirty years of legal experience with claims involving auto accidents and underinsured motorists in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and throughout Northern California.
After An Accident With an Underinsured Motorist
An underinsured motorist has car insurance, but their liability coverage limits aren’t high enough to cover an injury due to an accident they caused. An accident can cost you much more than the California minimum coverage requirement. Many people assume that because the other driver caused the crash, their insurance company will handle everything. Unfortunately, underinsured motorist claims rarely work that way. When you make an underinsured motorist claim, you are usually making it under your own auto insurance policy. Your insurance company can step into the role of the at-fault driver for purposes of the claim, which means it may dispute fault, challenge the value of your injuries, or try to reduce what it pays. Even though you paid for this coverage, your insurer is still protecting its own financial interests.
1. Don’t panic
Accidents are stressful, but try to stay calm. If you are nervous, you may make mistakes that will damage your claim. Do not apologize or admit to any mistake that contributed to the accident.
2. Call the police
After an accident, call the police immediately. The police will make a report and collect information that will become vital evidence in our work toward building a case for a settlement or a trial.
3. If anyone is hurt, call the ambulance
If anyone has been injured, call an ambulance. After an accident, you may not feel the pain immediately. See a doctor to make sure that there are no hidden injuries. You may have difficulty collecting damages later if you say, “I am fine” now.
4. Collect information
Get the telephone number and address of the underinsured motorist and inquire about where they work. Take photos or videos of the accident. All this information will help your underinsured motorist lawyer in settling your case.
5. Don’t make any agreements at the place of the accident
Don’t agree on any negotiations with the motorist or their insurance company until you have spoken to an underinsured motorist lawyer. You may wind up signing away your rights or settling for a smaller settlement than you are entitled to.
6. Contact an underinsured motorist lawyer
An underinsured motorist accident attorney will be able to determine who is at fault in the accident and tally up the value of your damages. They can then help you seek all available compensation and give you instructions on what to do next.
How to tell an Underinsured Motorist from an Uninsured Motorist
Uninsured motorists have no coverage. Underinsured motorists have insurance that doesn’t cover all your damages. Our experienced GJEL California Uninsured Motorist Lawyers can protect you if you’re hit by a driver whose insurance doesn’t fully cover your damages or injuries,
Reasons You Need an Underinsured Motorist Accident Lawyer
Most Californians are protected from underinsured and uninsured drivers under their legally required auto insurance policies. If a California driver is involved in an accident with an underinsured driver, the victim must seek restitution from someone who is probably unable to pay. In this case, the victim’s insurance company is legally required to pay for the damages. Before you rely on what an insurance adjuster tells you or consider any settlement, you need to understand what your policy actually provides. An underinsured motorist lawyer can review your full insurance policy to identify coverage limits, exclusions, and conditions that affect your claim. This review often determines how much compensation may be available and whether your insurance company is improperly limiting what you are owed.
Policy of Insurance Companies
Many California drivers often don’t even realize they have underinsured motorist coverage as part of their insurance policy. This is common and not your fault. Auto insurance policies are complex, and important coverages are often easy to miss. In California, underinsured motorist coverage is typically included in your policy unless you specifically declined it in writing. That means you may have this protection even if you do not remember choosing it. Reviewing your policy can confirm whether this coverage applies to your situation. Underinsured motorist coverage can provide you with a much higher case value than that initially offered by your insurance company.
Many people feel that they are protected by their insurance companies or are comforted by assurances from other drivers involved in the accident that the damages will be covered. However, only with professional, experienced legal assistance can a driver recover what he or she is truly owed.
Complex California Insurance Law
If you have an accident involving an underinsured driver, you need an underinsured motorist lawyer. California’s insurance law is complex, and most citizens are unaware of all the details. Insurance companies have lawyers acting in their own interest, so you need a lawyer to act for you. Many people do not understand how underinsured motorist coverage works until they are already dealing with medical bills and lost income. If your damages are worth $50,000 and the at-fault driver only carries the California minimum of $15,000 in liability coverage, that insurance pays first. Your underinsured motorist coverage may then apply to pursue the remaining amount, up to the limits of your own policy.
Many Californian Drivers Are Underinsured
It is estimated that as many as 20% of California drivers drive without any auto insurance, and another 20% carry minimal insurance at best. The chance of being involved in an accident with an underinsured motorist in California is very real, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. This protection is not limited to situations where you were driving a car. You may still be able to use underinsured motorist coverage if you were hit as a pedestrian or while riding a bicycle or motorcycle. In many cases, your own auto insurance policy can protect you even when you were not inside your vehicle.
Reimbursement For Bills
We have recovered tens of millions of dollars in damages for our clients caused by uninsured motorists. Our Northern California underinsured motorist lawyer possesses the ability to recover damages from your insurance company and the other driver(s), and we will pursue reimbursement for medical bills, pain and suffering, wrongful death, loss of work, and other areas specified by law. In most cases, you are legally entitled to these financial awards. We will ensure that they are paid to you promptly and efficiently if we win your case.
Contact GJEL for Underinsured Motorist Cases
If you have been involved in an auto accident involving an underinsured driver, contact our firm’s Northern California underinsured motorist lawyer for more information and a free consultation. Our San Francisco and Northern California underinsured motorist lawyer aggressively represents our client’s interests, and we have decades of experience with claims related to accidents involving an underinsured motorist.
Contact Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey at 1-855-508-9565, the Northern California underinsured motorist attorney, for a free, no-obligation consultation today.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin is a founding partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has practiced personal injury law in California state and federal courts since 1970. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School and co-founded GJEL in 1972. Over the course of his career, Andy has helped hundreds of injured plaintiffs recover compensation, including multiple seven-figure settlements and verdicts. He specializes in serious injury and wrongful death cases and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, with recognition from Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
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