Monmouth County Uninsured Driver Accident Lawyer
If you drive a car in New Jersey, then you know the law requires you carry a certain amount of auto insurance. New Jersey’s Standard Auto Insurance Policy includes a minimum amount of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that provides you with “no-fault” benefits in the event of an accident. The standard policy also includes liability coverage that compensates other persons who are injured if you cause an accident.
Unfortunately, these coverage limits are often insufficient to cover serious injuries. And many drivers simply do not bother to purchase auto insurance in the first place despite the legal mandate. So what happens if you are injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver? The first thing you should do is contact the Monmouth County uninsured driver accident lawyers at Poulos LoPiccolo PC who can advise you of your rights and represent you in dealing with your own insurance company.
How Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage Can Protect You Following an Accident
Indeed, your own insurance company often plays a critical role in dealing with accidents caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers. New Jersey’s insurance mandate requires you purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of the Standard Auto Insurance Policy. This coverage equals the amount of liability coverage purchased with your policy.
As the name suggests, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage provides you with benefits in an accident caused by a driver who does not carry the minimum amount of liability coverage required by law, or a driver whose liability limit is less than the amount of your uninsured motorist coverage. Basically, if the negligent driver does not have enough insurance to fully compensate you for your accident-related losses, your own insurance company must step in and pay up to the limits of your uninsured motorist coverage.
In theory this sounds simple enough. But your own insurance company may drag its feet or even try to deny your claim for uninsured motorist benefits. This is one reason it is important to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer who has dealt with these types of cases before. One thing to note is you can actually sue your insurance company if they “unreasonably” delay or deny your claim for uninsured or underinsured coverage following an accident. In 2022, New Jersey even strengthened its law in this area, making it possible to recover damages up to three times the coverage limits of your policy if your insurance company acts unreasonably.
NJ Uninsured Driver Accident Lawyers Serving Ocean, Monmouth & Middlesex County
Dealing with insurance issues is often the last thing someone wants to do following a car accident. But as your accident-related bills and losses start to mount, it is crucial that you seek out timely advice from a qualified New Jersey accidents with uninsured drivers lawyer who can take some of the burden of dealing with these issues off your plate. If you need to speak with an attorney, contact Poulos LoPiccolo PC today to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our staff.
