In a perfect world you pay your insurance premiums, and your insurance pays out whenever they should under the policy. However, we all know in this world things rarely go perfectly. Auto insurance policies with underinsured coverage (UIM) can create difficult situations between the insurance and the insured.
People assume that when they pay their insurance premiums every month that their insurance should pay out when they make a claim. To an extent that is true. Most states have laws that require insurance companies to deal in “good faith” with their insured. What “good faith” means can vary from state to state, but in general terms, insurance companies must deal with their insured with honesty or sincerity of intention. However, insurance companies — like any business — have an interest in not paying out more than they need to.
It’s not always as easy as letting your UIM carrier know that the other person doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the damage they caused to you. Your UIM carrier is going to want to do their own investigation. Sometimes, they’ll even tell you what medical treatment they think was necessary, and what wasn’t. You don’t have to accept their conclusions about your injuries.
When your UIM is not trying to pay all the money that you feel you deserve it is time to reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney. A lawyer can research your case and help figure out what compensation you’re entitled to from your UIM carrier. In fact, an attorney can sue your UIM carrier to pay out the benefits they should be paying. A car wreck attorney can fight for you not only against the at-fault driver’s insurance, but also advocate for you with your own insurance to insure that you receive all the compensation you deserve. Sadly, these types of situations with UIM are happening more and more. Do not hesitate to reach out to a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer, who handles car wrecks so they can discuss your potential case in greater detail.