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What Happens When You Get Hit By An Uninsured Driver?

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What Happens When You Get Hit By An Uninsured Driver?

What happens when you get hit by an uninsured driver?In many cases of bicycle crashes across Florida, damages and injuries will be covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance company. With 25% of drivers across the state of Florida carrying little to no insurance coverage, it may be difficult for you to see the coverage that you need for your injuries and damages if a person does not have applicable insurance. So you may be asking yourself…”What happens when you get hit by an uninsured driver?” 

If you are involved in an accident where someone hits you and doesn’t have insurance, you may be wondering how you can access compensation or receive any type of money for your injuries. You might feel completely stuck or in a hopeless situation if you have been involved in one of these accidents. Working with a lawyer that has experience with bicycle accidents can make sure that you can access some level of funding to manage your injuries and damages.

Your Automobile Insurance Policy Can Help

If you have your own automobile insurance, it’s likely that you could access coverage that could help you in the event that you are hit by a driver that’s underinsured or uninsured while you were on your bike. Even if you happen to be involved in a car accident while you were cycling, you can access some level of coverage if you are hit by an underinsured or uninsured driver.

Uninsured Or Underinsured Coverage

Insurance companies are able to offer you underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage in addition to your current auto insurance. For a small fee on your auto insurance policy, you can get an extra level of coverage if you’re involved in an accident with a driver that has the minimum level of insurance coverage or no insurance coverage at all.

Many people waive this valuable coverage from their insurance policy without really understanding how it can protect them.  You should call your carrier and add this coverage if you do not already have it. We recommend carrying at least $100,000 in coverage for underinsured or uninsured drivers so that you have adequate benefits to cover your medical bills and damages.

By taking a quick look at your insurance policy, you can prepare for the worst case scenario. You can often add this coverage to your auto insurance policy by contacting your insurer. The minimum amount of coverage that you can add usually ranges between $10,000-$30,000 based off of your insurance company. Adding a higher level of coverage will make sure that you can be fully protected for your injuries and damages in one of these cases.

How This Coverage Can Affect You After A Bicycle Crash

If you’ve been hit by a car while you are riding a bike, it’s very likely that you will face thousands of dollars in medical bills. Getting involved in one of these accidents can often involve a lengthy hospital stay, and it can even involve months of recovery. Working with an insurance company to get access to the compensation you need for your injuries is not easy when the at fault driver only has the minimum insurance coverage.

If the at fault driver does not have the adequate insurance to cover your injuries, you can access UM or UIM coverage from your own insurance policies to cover your costs. With the right coverage, you could get several thousand dollars to cover your medical bills or even tens of thousands of dollars depending on the severity of your injuries.

The risks in the state of Florida to cyclists is quite high with around 25% of drivers on the road only carrying the minimum amount of insurance or no insurance at all. UM or UIM is an insurance coverage that does not increase your insurance premium in a significant way but it can help to protect you in the case of an accident.

If you experience any type of difficulty in claiming your UM or UIM coverage, you may want to consider seeking legal counsel. Your insurance company will work at representing the at fault driver in the case of a UIM or UM case. The company that you purchased insurance from will be responsible for determining the total amount of coverage or compensation that you are entitled to after the accident. Insurance companies will often provide a slight pushback to minimize the amount of compensation that they have to pay out.

Working with a professional car accident lawyer that also has experience with bicycle accidents can help to make sure that you receive the benefits you are entitled to. Don’t settle for an amount of compensation that is not going to cover damages or injuries.  Obtain UM or UIM coverage from your insurance company, and work with a legal professional if you’re involved in an accident where the at-fault driver does not have adequate insurance coverage.

If you are interested in working with one of the best insurance attorneys contact Jenkins Law today. The Jenkins Law team specializes in insurance law. Call us to set up your free consultation today!

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