Under California law, a driver who causes an accident is financially responsible for the victim's medical bills, lost income and other losses. For this reason, California requires every driver to carry insurance for both bodily injury and property damage to others.
Uninsured Accident Lawyer in San Diego
There are two problems with this San Diego, California law for uninsured motorists:
- An estimated one in five drivers in California do not have the mandatory insurance
- Millions of California drivers carry only the minimum coverage, which often falls short of the losses inflicted.
While you most likely have uninsured motorist / underinsured motorist coverage for this scenario, it is not a slam-dunk claim and you must act within 24 hours in certain instances. You should talk to an experienced uninsured accident lawyer from Phillips & Pelly before speaking with any insurance company. Our attorneys serve clients in San Diego, Poway, Chula Vista, Carlsbad and across San Diego County.
Underinsured Motorist Claims
The State of California requires drivers to carry 15/30/5, or minimum coverage of:
- $15,000 of liability bodily injury per person injured
- $30,000 of bodily injury per accident
- $5,000 of property damage (vehicle damage) per accident
Your medical care, lost wages and other damages can easily exceed $15,000. If two or more people were injured, those victims will have to split (or compete for) $30,000 to cover their combined losses. If your car sustained more than $5,000 in damage, or if several vehicles were damaged, there will not be enough coverage to fix or replace your car.
In 2009, California actually lowered the minimum liability coverage to $10,000/$20,000/$3,000 for "good drivers," defined as people who have caused no more than one accident in the prior three years. This means even less money available to accident victims.
Uninsured Motorist Policy
If the negligent driver had zero insurance, or if any of those policy limits are reached, our uninsured motorist attorneys will bring a claim under your uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist policy, commonly called UM/UIM. Your insurer is obligated to cover the difference, up to the maximum of your UM/UIM policy. But insurers are notorious for resisting these claims to deny, delay or short-change your compensation. At Phillips & Pelly, our attorneys know how to fight back to make sure you are not left with the financial baggage of an accident that was not your fault. In certain cases, you must act within 24 hours, so do not delay.
Contacting an Uninsured Accident Attorney
Phillips & Pelly will handle every facet of your personal injury case, including your property damage claim and rental car coverage, once we accept your case and investigate liability and insurance. Our uninsured accident attorneys can also arrange quality medical care if you do not have PIP coverage or health insurance. Call 858-345-5929 or contact us online for a free case evaluation with a San Diego uninsured motorist accident lawyer. There are no fees unless we win compensation.
