Your Auto Insurance : Know How to Use It
mean :
By Scott O ’ Sullivan O ’ Sullivan Law Firm
Did you know that your own auto insurance provides benefits even if you are the victim in an accident and sometimes even if you weren ’ t in a car ? You could be walking , riding a bike or riding your motorcycle and , if you are struck by a car , your auto insurance may help pay your bills .
Here ’ s an example of what I
I recently represented a woman who was walking home from her job . As she walked along the sidewalk , she crossed a driveway to a commercial building complex and she was hit by a truck . The driver of the truck didn ’ t see the woman and he dragged her 100 feet before coming to a stop !
In defending her and securing resources for her recovery , we were able to access funds from the truck driver ’ s insurance . That step seems obvious . But we were also able to use her own auto insurance to help cover her costs .
We accessed her Under Insured Motorist ( UIM ) coverage as well as her medical payment coverage , helping to provide her with a lot more money to pay her medical bills . ( By the way , this is just another example of why you need a personal injury attorney ’ s help if you are ever injured by another driver . You may never know all of the places you need to look for help with your bills !) Here ’ s another example :
I represented a person who was riding his bicycle on
Highway 285 ( which I do not recommend but it is not illegal ) and he was hit by a car . He was biking legally on the shoulder of the road when he was struck . We were able to use the defendant ’ s insurance , plus the victim ’ s UIM coverage to alleviate his medical bills .
I ’ ve heard too many stories about pedestrians who are struck by cars and they face awful injuries and overwhelming medical bills . And too many times , they don ’ t know enough to seek funds from their own insurance company . They think , “ The other guy did this to me ; he and his insurance company should pay .”
And while I ’ m on the subject , please go look at your insurance card right now and make sure you have UIM coverage . This coverage protects you if the other driver doesn ’ t have any insurance or not enough of it to pay for your injuries . Why is this coverage so important ? Because one-third of all Colorado drivers don ’ t have car insurance and most drivers in Colorado only have the State minimum liability coverage of $ 25,000 .
Imagine if you ’ re hit by another driver and their insurance company only pays you $ 25,000 . I guarantee that your medical bills will far exceed that amount . That ’ s when your own UIM coverage kicks in .
Be an advocate for yourself ! If you are ever the victim of another driver ’ s negligence , make sure to access all the coverage that you can from your own insurance company . There might be money sitting on the table just waiting for you to pick up .
If you have any questions about this article , don ’ t hesitate to call me : 303-388-5304 or https :// osullivan-law-firm . com / www . thunderroadscolorado . com November 2015 Thunder Roads Magazine ® Colorado 7