Austin Personal Injury Lawyer Blog | Gonzales & Gonzales

What happens if the person who caused the accident doesn't have insurance or doesn't have enough insurance?

Many times insurance carriers will send a letter explaining that the vehicle which caused the accident was not insured (i.e. there is no coverage). This can occur because the owner failed to pay their premiums or because the driver is an excluded driver. Whatever the reason, you need the assistance of experienced attorneys who know how to help you. You should ask the carrier to send you a notice of cancellation. At Gonzales and Gonzales we can help you seek compensation from your own insurance if we find that we are dealing with a party who has no insurance. That is, we can file an uninsured motorist claim.

Additionally, we want to make sure you receive full compensation. If the driver who caused the auto accident has only minimal limits (i.e. $20,000.00 per person), we can help you recover the other driver's full policy limits and then file an underinsured motorist claim on your behalf. If you settle with the other party prior to providing the proper notice to your own insurance company, you may end up letting your own insurance off the hook. Believe it or not, if you want to settle for policy limits against the party which caused the accident, you may need to first get a permission to settle letter from your own insurance company.

Underinsured motorist claims and uninsured motorist claims are often just referred to as "UIM" or "UM" claims in the insurance industry. We understand these types of claims and are here to help. For a free consultation, please call Gonzales & Gonzales at 512-474-2001. We want to help you maximize your case.