How to Get Compensation from Uninsured Motorist Accidents in Texas
If your wreck was caused by a driver without liability insurance, you still have options.
Uninsured drivers are a real problem on North Texas roads and highways causing car wrecks and motorcycle accidents all over the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Fatalities and serious injuries result from negligent drivers who fail to carry insurance as required by our state, causing even more problems for those they crash into.
It's estimated that more than 25 percent of Texas drivers are uninsured. That means that one out of every five drivers on the road is driving without liability insurance to pay for any damage they cause to you, your passengers or your car.
Worse yet, more than half of the drivers who do have insurance only have the minimum amount as required by Texas law. This means that the most their insurance is obligated to pay to an accident victim is $25,000, which is clearly not enough for serious injury cases that include high medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
With such a high number of drivers that are either uninsured or underinsured, it's only a matter of time before you get caught in an accident with one of them. Are you prepared? Medical Bills Keep Growing With No Insurance to Pay
If you are in a serious car wreck in Tarrant County, your medical bills can add up quickly. The ambulance ride and emergency room visit alone can put you out several thousand dollars. If you have to be admitted to the hospital, have surgery, or undergo physical therapy for an auto accident, you could easily be looking at $50,000-100,000 in medical bills. Think your health insurance company is going to pay those bills? Well, think again.
Many health insurance companies are reluctant to pay bills incurred from a car accident. They believe that the liable party's auto insurance should pay the bills, so they leave the burden of the bills to you and the other insurance company. But if you're injured in an auto accident with an uninsured motorist, those bills can fall squarely on your shoulders.
Protect Yourself from Uninsured Drivers Texas insurance companies must offer uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage to every Texas auto insurance policy holder. If you purchase uninsured motorist coverage, your own insurance company will pay for property damages and injury damages if the other vehicle is uninsured. However, if you don't carry a UM/UIM policy, you have no recourse with your own insurance company in the event that you're involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist.
UM/UIM coverage is the best kind of insurance to have if you can afford it. Shelling out the extra cash for an uninsured motorist premium is one of the smartest investments you can make if you live in DFW. Nationwide, there are over 6 million motor-vehicle accidents annually, thousands of which occur in Texas. Statistically speaking, the chance of getting into car accidents with uninsured motorists is alarmingly high.
Unfortunately, as long as the economy is in a tailspin, the number of uninsured motorists is only going to rise. Most uninsured motorists in Texas claim they don't carry car insurance because they can't afford it and with an increasing number of families feeling financial strain, you'll see an increasing number of uninsured motorists on the road.
Common Questions the Anderson Law Firm Receives About Uninsured Motorist Claims:
Just because you carry an uninsured motorist policy doesn't mean your own insurance company is going to treat you fairly. It should, but that's just not always the case.
Insurance companies are in the business of making money and the more they pay out in claims, the less money they make. It's the cruel reality of the industry.
In order to be treated fairly, you will need an experienced injury attorney to fight for you; a lawyer that will make sure you are fairly compensated. Without a knowledgeable injury attorney, you won't be able to achieve the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries.
Don't delay.Learn about your rights if you've been involved in a car accident with an uninsured motorist.The Anderson Law Firm offers free consultations to all injury victims. Call us in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, or Contact Us Onlineto learn more about your rights.
Mark Anderson has been practicing personal injury law since 1991 and is recognised as one of the best attorneys in his field.
Mark is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization – a distinction held by fewer than 2% of Texas lawyers. He was selected as a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as recognition for his success in recovering compensation for his clients. He has been honored with the prestigious AV Rating by the Martindale Hubbard System and has been rated 10/10 (the highest level possible) by the AVVO Rating System which ranks attorneys based on experience, conduct and industry recognition. Mark was selected as a Top Personal Injury Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine in 2009 and 2010.
For more information about Mark, see his biography.
