Under the area of law known as “Personal Injury”, individuals who are injured in an accident that is someone else’s fault have the right to file a claim to get compensation. When the other person in the accident is either uninsured or underinsured, your rights can become even more difficult to understand. There are some things that you will need to understand about uninsured/underinsured motorist claims before you know how to go forward after an accident in Baltimore.
According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Underinsured Motorist insurance reduces the financial burden on people who are hit by a driver who either has no insurance or not enough to cover the damages. There are two types of coverage including that for bodily injury and for property damage. Of those two types, bodily injury coverage is the type most often used and is required by some states. By definition, injury to a person’s body is considered a personal injury.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Maryland
The state of Maryland requires every car insurance policy to include coverage for uninsured motorists. This requirement allows for coverage when the at-fault driver is not insured. The only exception to this rule is when you sign a waiver that shows you turned down the coverage for uninsured motorists. Every driver should have the option to have uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance.
Drivers who are riding on other types of vehicles or as passengers in another person’s vehicle who does not have uninsured motorist coverage, you still have the right to make uninsured/underinsured motorist claims for a family or household vehicle regardless of whether you were riding in the vehicle when the accident occurred.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
A driver may lack the insurance to cover all of the injuries and damages that occur from the accident. Then, the underinsured motorist coverage will kick in to cover the discrepancy. Uninsured motorist coverage automatically includes underinsured motorist coverage even though it may not be printed on the policy. If the vehicle you are traveling in is not covered by uninsured motorist insurance but you have another vehicle on the same policy that is, you can still make uninsured/underinsured motorist claims.
What to Do When You Need to Make Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims
Due to the complexity of the laws involving insurance companies, any person who needs to make uninsured/underinsured motorist claims will need to get a personal injury attorney to represent them. The Maryland DMV outlines the state’s insurance requirements program and explains that it keeps uninsured motorists off roads by regularly validating insurance coverage on all Maryland registered vehicles.
The state hopes to reduce the need for Personal Injury claims with this program by tracking drivers and ensuring they have coverage at all times their vehicles are registered. At any time the insurance is cancelled by the owner for any reason, the registration must first be cancelled. For the unfortunate person who still gets hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, legal representation is still the best way to protect their rights.
Sources:
Department of Motor Vehicles – http://www.dmv.org/insurance/underinsured-motorist-coverage.php
