Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Issues
Uninsured/Underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage provides compensation for injuries caused by someone who does not have insurance or “underinsured.” Although not mandatory, most insurance policies sold in Colorado contain uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
In Colorado, the minimum amount of required bodily injury insurance is $25,000. As you can imagine, in many cases $25,000 is not nearly enough to fairly compensate the injured party. If this occurs, that person can access his or her “uninsured/underinsured motorist” coverage.
In 2007, Colorado changed the laws governing underinsured motorist coverage so that now this coverage automatically stacks on the at-fault driver’s policy. For example, if the at-fault party has $25,000 in coverage and the injured party has $100,000 in underinsured motorist coverage, that coverage will provide an additional $100,000 in available coverage for a total of $125,000.
In cases with serious injuries (more than $25,000.00 in damages), it is imperative to investigate any sources of available insurance before resolving the case. This can include insurance policies on other vehicles in the house as well as your own automobile insurance if you are a passenger in a car when you are injured.
One other point about UM/UIM coverage many people do not know. This coverage will provide benefits even if you are not in a car when you are injured, so long as the injuries arise from the operation of a motor vehicle. For example, you would be able to access your own UM/UIM insurance if you are struck by a car as a pedestrian or on a bicycle.
If you have questions about UM/UIM coverage, or for a free case assessment, call or email us today. The highly skilled attorneys at Fuicelli & Lee, PC are experts in handling automobile injury cases and are here to help.
