Uninsured Motorist Coverage and Miss-and-Run Accidents
When you’re doing the best you can to be a safe and responsible driver, it can be incredibly frustrating when another driver’s reckless or careless driving causes an accident. In theory, if you’re doing your diligence, you shouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath of an accident. Unfortunately, we can’t control others’ actions. Dealing with the aftermath of an accident can be even more frustrating when the other driver doesn’t even bother remaining at the scene to deal with the consequences of their actions. You’re left injured and unsure how to cover the damage a miss-and-run driver caused.
Over the years, Mintz Law Firm’s personal injury attorneys have helped our clients find the best options for securing fair compensation for their injuries and related loss. We are dedicated to helping injured individuals quickly recover from a personal injury accident’s frustrating and sometimes life-changing impacts. When a negligent driver impacts your livelihood, health, and financial well-being, Mintz Law Firm strives to help protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
How UM Coverage Works After a Miss-and-Run Accident
The average person is likely to veer out of the way when it seems like they’re about to be struck by an oncoming car. However, these uncalculated and sudden twists and turns can result in another collision with other vehicles or fixed objects. Neither of these collisions would have happened if not for the first negligent driver that drove off.
Miss-and-run accidents occur when the at-fault driver is about to hit you but misses and continues to drive off despite having caused you to hit something else. Their absence means there’s no way to collect their insurance information to obtain compensation by pursuing a personal injury claim against them.
As a result, you must file a claim with your own uninsured motorists (UM) insurance policy. This policy is designed to cover accidents involving drivers who don’t have insurance, hit-and-run accidents, and miss-and-run accidents. However, the burden of proof rests on you. You must be able to prove that another driver is responsible for forcing you into that maneuver that caused you to collide with another driver or object.
What Does UM Cover?
In Colorado, UM coverage is meant to cover accident-related medical expenses for you and your passengers. Those expenses aren’t limited to hospital bills and doctor visits alone. Other costs covered under Colorado’s UM coverage include:
- Future medical expenses
- Loss of potential earnings/wages
- Rehabilitation or long-term nursing assistance
- Therapeutic care
- Medical mobility devices
- Pain and suffering (under certain circumstances)
The process of filing a UM claim with your insurance company is generally not difficult. You simply need to contact your insurance company, inform them of what happened, and provide the documentation they ask for to review and evaluate your claim. The challenge comes in obtaining fair compensation. While insurance policies exist to help cover costs after a serious accident, insurance companies are still businesses that, more often than not, are out to protect their profits. To ensure the value of your claim is accurately calculated, contact an experienced attorney who can advocate for you against insurance adjusters.
Contact a Skilled Car Accident Attorney Today at Mintz Law Firm
Navigating the insurance process is difficult enough during a standard car accident, an uninsured miss-and-run accident is even more challenging. It’s frustrating to deal with unfair treatment from insurance companies. Fortunately, as the injury attorneys at Mintz Law Firm, we take that burden off your shoulders so you can focus on your recovery. Our attorneys will handle all negotiations on your behalf, calculate your damages, and gather sufficient evidence to prove your need for fair compensation.
Mintz Law Firm is a personal injury firm committed to making our clients’ lives easier. Contact us through our online contact form to learn more about how we can help you, or call (303) 462-2999 to schedule a consultation.