An uninsured motorist accident can leave you dealing with several problems at once. Two of the most concerning are serious injury and no source of payment. This makes carrying uninsured motorists coverage in Washington very important. Without this coverage, collecting compensation for your damages may prove exceedingly difficult if not entirely impossible.
In Washington, uninsured motorist coverage is optional, but it’s somewhat of a default coverage. The only way to reject it is through writing. Some people may reject it, not realizing how valuable it is. Others may have rejected it years ago and no longer remember. In any event, if you are unsure if you have coverage or if you have recently rejected it, adding uninsured motorist coverage to your policy is a very smart move.
Injured in a Wreck With an Uninsured Driver? Schedule a No-Cost Case Review Today
If you have been involved in an uninsured motorist accident in Tacoma, Olympia, or a nearby area of Washington, call the accident and injury specialists at Fuller & Fuller at (800) 570-4878. Our experienced attorneys can review your policy, explain your options, and help you deal with the insurance company to help ensure you are not cheated out of the compensation you need to make the fullest recovery possible.
What Is an Uninsured Motorist Accident?
An uninsured motorist accident usually means one of four things:
- The at-fault driver had no insurance at all (uninsured)
- The driver fled the scene in a hit-and-run
- An unidentified vehicle caused the crash without making contact
- The at-fault driver had insurance, but not enough to cover your losses (underinsured)
Washington often uses the term “uninsured/underinsured motorist,” or simply UIM, for this protection. UIM protects an insured driver from losses caused by a driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance, as well as those caused in hit-and-runs and accidents involving phantom (unidentified) vehicles.
Why UIM Coverage Matters
Liability insurance is required in Washington. However, minimum coverage rates are seldom enough to cover all damages in a serious wreck. Even a somewhat “routine” collision can result in medical bills and lost wages that exceed state minimums. This dilemma is made worse when the other driver has no coverage at all. In these cases, your own UIM coverage may be the only realistic way to recover damages.
In addition to UIM, PIP coverage can help to pay for medical bills, lost wages, services, and funeral costs, regardless of who caused the crash. However, PIP coverage, like UIM, is optional and can be rejected in writing. If you have rejected both UIM and PIP, it can become very difficult to pursue damages for your injuries if the at-fault driver had no insurance, or not enough
After an uninsured motorist accident, if you don’t have UIM or PIP, you may be able to seek compensation through the negligent party’s assets. This, of course, requires that the driver responsible for the crash has sufficient assets, like wages, property, or financial accounts that can be accessed.
Many uninsured drivers are financially insolvent, meaning they do not have the resources to pay for an accident. In these cases, without UIM or PIP coverage, you may have no clear path to collecting damages, even with the help of an experienced and proven car crash lawyer.
UIM Claims Are Not as Simple as They Sound
You might assume a claim under your own policy will be easier. After all, you’re dealing with your own insurer. Unfortunately, in a first-party claim, insurance companies may still question fault, challenge medical treatment, dispute whether your injuries are crash-related, or argue your losses are worth less than you say.
The legal fight might look different from a third-party liability claim where the at-fault driver had enough insurance, but the stakes are the same. The UIM adjuster steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver, so you are in just as adversarial a relationship with your own adjuster as you would be with the adjuster of the at-fault party. While you are protected against unreasonable denials, it can be difficult to show that your insurer is being unfair.
This is one of the biggest reasons to work with an experienced uninsured motorist accident lawyer. Having legal protection helps to ensure that your insurance carrier treats you fairly and doesn’t try to get out of paying you what you are entitled to. From your lawyer’s point of view, settling a claim with the at-fault adjuster or the UIM adjuster is a very similar process.
The fact that you have been paying insurance premiums to your company – perhaps even for decades – will not help you when it comes to making a claim.
The Role of an Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer
Depending on the specifics of your claim, an attorney can help by:
- Reviewing your policy for available UIM and PIP coverage
- Identifying written rejections, exclusions, and limit issues
- Gathering medical proof and wage-loss evidence
- Handling adjuster calls and written communications
- Building the value of the claim before negotiations begin
- Fighting back if the insurer delays, underpays, or denies your claim unfairly
- Negotiating vigorously to help secure the best possible outcome
Insurance companies, even your own, may not be on your side when you are seriously injured. As for-profit corporations, their primary concern is pleasing their investors and directors through increased revenue. Making large payouts to victims of serious injury works counter to this goal. Without an attorney on your side, you might find yourself alone in dealing with a company that has perfected minimizing or denying payments. Having a lawyer helps to protect you against unfair treatment and often allows you to seek significantly more than what insurance companies are readily willing to part with.
Why Choose Fuller & Fuller
Fuller & Fuller has helped injured people in Olympia, Tacoma, and throughout Washington for more than 50 years. Attorneys Marya Fuller and John Mango specialize in accident and injury law, including uninsured motorist accidents, with a focus on securing maximum compensation for victims. Experienced, attentive, and effective, we work tirelessly to uncover all potential sources of compensation and will fight to ensure your needs, current and future, are met.
When you choose Fuller & Fuller, you’re choosing a law firm with a reputation for truly caring about clients. We treat you like family isn’t a slogan, it’s our founding principle. We will stand by your side and stand up for your rights, no matter how difficult the fight.
Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This fee structure means we don’t get paid until after we have secured compensation for you. You have nothing to lose by reaching out for a free and confidential consultation where we can listen to your story, help you understand your options, and work to guide you toward the most effective solution.
Contact Our Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyers Today
If you were hurt in an uninsured motorist accident in Tacoma, Olympia, or in Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, or Lewis Counties, use our online contact form to set up your no-cost, no-obligation case review with Fuller & Fuller today. We will review your crash, your policy, and your available coverage to help you decide what to do next.
