Cleveland Uninsured and Underinsured Accident Attorney
When an uninsured or underinsured driver causes a collision, victims may not know where to turn for financial recovery. Ohio’s fault laws state that the at-fault party will pay for damages, but in these situations, the driver does not have enough insurance to cover victims’ expenses. If you are facing serious personal injuries and expensive losses from an uninsured/underinsured driver, contact the lawyers at Elk & Elk of Cleveland. We can help you understand how to secure compensation despite the at-fault driver’s lack of insurance.
Why Choose Our Attorneys?
- We are a client-focused firm. Your personal safety and needs drive our legal strategies. From the outset, we will use your situation and desired outcome to inform your case.
- We have more than 50 years of combined experience successfully recovering damages for accident victims. We have recovered more than $1 billion in total results.
- We offer our services on a contingency fee basis. We believe everybody deserves legal representation, so we do not charge legal fees until we win the client’s case.
Do You Need a Lawyer for Your Claim?
An uninsured or underinsured driver claim takes knowledge of the state’s insurance laws and requirements. Acquiring damages may take a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, your own provider, or a third party’s insurer. A lawyer can help you identify any and all available outlets for financial recovery after a collision with an inadequately insured driver. Your Cleveland car accident attorney can help you seek restitution while you focus on healing.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims in Ohio
It is against the law in Ohio to operate a vehicle without at least the minimum amounts of required insurance: $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. Yet hundreds of drivers get behind the wheel without enough insurance every day. Unfortunately, this can lead to limited recovery options if the uninsured or underinsured driver causes a car accident.
Uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage are not legal requirements in the state of Ohio. They are optional forms of insurance a driver has to manually decline when choosing an insurance policy. UM and UIM insurance will provide coverage to the policyholder when a driver without adequate insurance causes a crash. It will also cover damages in hit-and-run accidents, when the at-fault driver flees the scene. After a collision with a driver that does not have enough insurance, contact your provider to find out if you have UM/UIM coverage.
Your insurance company will tell you whether you have this coverage and if so, how much of your damages it will cover. Your own insurance company may provide enough to cover all of your losses. If you do not have UM/UIM insurance, however, your own provider may not offer you a settlement. In these situations, your last option for recovery may be through a personal injury lawsuit against one or more at-fault parties.
Filing a Lawsuit for an Uninsured/Underinsured Driver Accident
A personal injury lawsuit might be your only option if the at-fault driver does not have insurance and you do not have UM/UIM coverage. A lawsuit is appropriate if someone else’s negligence contributed to your injuries – such as a drunk driver, the manufacturer of a defective auto part, or the city in charge of roadway maintenance. A claim against someone other than the uninsured driver could result in compensation for your losses. A lawyer can help.
Call (800) ELK-OHIO Today
Elk & Elk has decades of combined experience handling even the most challenging car accident cases. We know how to pursue compensation when the at-fault party does not have enough insurance to cover losses. Our Cleveland personal injury attorneys can help you file a claim and fight for fair financial recovery. Let us review your case for free today. Call (216) 313-9774 or send us a message online.