What to Know about Texas Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured Motorist Lawyer in Houston Explains UM/UIM Claims
Houston uninsured motorist lawyer Phillip Brantley understands the struggles that injury victims and their families can face following a car accident. If you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, then you should file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. These types of claims can get tricky, and you should not attempt to make these types of claims without an attorney.
What is UM/UIM Insurance?
Both uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) are coverage that you can purchase on your own car insurance policy. However, Texas law does not require a person to buy UM/UIM insurance. It is still an extremely good idea to have this type of coverage. Many people only purchase the minimum amount of insurance to drive legally, but this is a mistake. If an accident occurs involving catastrophic injury, or injury to multiple people in your family, the money from the minimum coverage on a policy will likely be far short of what you actually need to recover.
Our lawyer encourages everyone to purchase UM/UIM insurance. For the small premium increase, you will be protecting yourself and your family from financial ruin.
How Do I File a UM/UIM Claim?
The first thing to do after a car accident is to discuss your situation with a seasoned attorney. Do not speak to the other driver’s insurance company without first seeking the advice of a lawyer. If the other driver does have insurance, you will likely have to make a claim on their policy first. If they do not have insurance, there are additional steps you should take before filing a claim. Depending on the amount of the other driver’s coverage, the amount of damages you’ve sustained, and the specifics of your own UM/UIM policy, you can then make a claim on your own policy.
Do not attempt to make a claim on your own policy without a lawyer. Insurance companies are not on your side, even your own insurance company. The insurance company’s agents have a job to do—it is to ensure the company pays out as little as possible to both other drivers and their own clients involved in accidents.
Further, insurance companies record conversations. They may ask questions meant to elicit admissions of fault or other statements that will allow them to deny or minimize your payout. Do not allow the insurance company to record a statement until you have your own attorney.
Types of Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Accidents
There are multiple instances where you may be involved in an auto accident with uninsured or underinsured motorist, including:
- Driver or passenger hit by a driver who does not have car insurance
- Driver or passenger hit by a driver who has insurance but whose coverage is not enough to cover the damages
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Bicyclist or pedestrian hit by a driver who does not have auto insurance or does not have enough car insurance to cover the damages he or she caused
Uninsured Motorist Lawyer Representing Victims in Houston and Nationwide
For nearly 30 years, Phillip Brantley & Associates, P.C. has been protecting the rights of those injured and the families of those killed due to the negligence of another person or business in Houston and nationwide.
You can speak to Attorney Brantley for free about your situation without any obligation to hire him. He will explain the best options available to you and answer any questions you have about the legal process. You need to know this information to make the right decisions about your and your family’s future. Evidence valuable to your case needs to be gathered and preserved right away. In addition, the longer you wait, the more likely it is that the statute of limitations will pass.
For more information about underinsured and uninsured motorist accidents or to talk to an experienced uninsured motorist lawyer about your situation for free, call us directly or fill out our online contact form to set up a no-obligation consultation today.