Most of us are diligent about keeping our auto insurance up-to-date, as the law requires. But through events beyond your control, you may have been involved in an accident involving a motorist who, whether from neglect or lack of resources, did not have auto insurance. If you have suffered an injury or loss of property, do you have any path to reimbursement for medical expenses or property damage? These can be difficult cases, and ones an experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney at J. Cogburn Law understand well.
Uninsured Motorist Accident Resources:
- What is uninsured motorist insurance coverage?
- What are Nevada car insurance requirements?
- What percent of motorists are uninsured in Nevada?
- What type of compensation can I receive from an uninsured motorist claim?
- When should I contact an uninsured motorist attorney?
What is Uninsured Motorist Insurance Coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage is an insurance policy that will compensate you if you’ve been involved in an accident where the liable driver does not have adequate insurance to pay for your injuries and damages. Uninsured motorist policies can help cover your medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering, as insurance companies take fault for the driver that is uninsured and agrees to pay out the claims for injuries.
Insurance policies are contracts that are full of complex legal language. The odds are you’ve never carefully studied the details of your auto insurance policy, and even if you have you probably did not gain clarity. There may be some options for recourse in relation to your uninsured motorist coverage that goes beyond what you may be able to glean by reviewing the terms of your own auto insurance policy. This is where an experienced Las Vegas uninsured motorist accident attorney comes to play. At J. Cogburn Law, we not only understand the provisions of your contract but have extensive knowledge of the body of case law related to uninsured motorists.
Nevada Car Insurance Requirements
In Nevada, each car insurance policy has to have uninsured motorist coverage. According to the Nevada Division of Insurance, drivers in the state are required to have protection at least the following levels as of July 2018:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $30,000 per person per accident for bodily injury
- $10,000 per person for property damage
Recognizing the fact that accidents involving uninsured drivers do occur, Nevada law requires that drivers purchase Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage that provides coverage for bodily injury liability that is equal to the coverage they have on your own insurance. This requirement provides a safety net of sorts, but if you have suffered serious bodily injury, your coverage may be far from sufficient to cover the scope of the losses you have experienced.
The only exception is if you signed the uninsured coverage waiver at the time you obtained your insurance policy, turning down the coverage. If you think you may have signed this, as your insurance company to find the copy on file and review your plan.
Nevada Uninsured Motorist Statistics
While many drivers in Las Vegas are tourists from out-of-state, others are Nevada residents. Statistics reported by the Insurance Information Institute reveal that 10.6 % of the drivers in the state are uninsured, and Nevada ranks as 29 among the states for numbers of uninsured drivers. In simple terms, a staggering one out of every ten Nevada drivers sharing the roadways does not carry valid auto insurance.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Receive from an Uninsured Motorist Claim?
The Insurance Research Council reports that more than 80 percent of uninsured motorists don’t have insurance because they cannot afford it. How can you expect a settlement of any kind, much less a large one if that is what is just, from a party that clearly has no resources?
Nevada law allows individuals to file a lawsuit against an uninsured driver for the injuries and property damage caused by their negligence. In most cases, these types of claims are handled in small claims court that rewards settlements up to $10,000. Sometimes, the uninsured motorist doesn’t have sufficient assets to cover the compensation awarded to the injured party. An experienced Las Vegas uninsured motor vehicle accident attorney will help you determine whether or not the defendant has sufficient assets like property, businesses, or retirement plans, to cover the cost of the awarded damage. Liens places against these assets and wages can be taken until the settlement is finalized.
Depend on a Las Vegas Uninsured Motorist Accident Attorney
Cases such as these exemplify the importance of experienced legal counsel. Only a Las Vegas uninsured motorist accident attorney with an extensive track record of successful lawsuits in auto accidents, insurance issues, and liability law will be capable of designing a strategy to achieve justice and fair compensation. It’s vital that every aspect of your accident, the circumstances surrounding it, your insurance policy, the conduct of the negligent party, and all other details are brought into the open in the pursuit of justice. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident with an uninsured driver, call a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer from J. Cogburn Law for a free case consultation.