When you have car insurance, you expect your insurance to protect you from all types of accidents. If you do not have specialty insurance designed for accidents involving drivers with no insurance or a lack of insurance, you may find that your policy offers little help. When another drive is responsible for the accident, you do have the right to contact an Idaho Falls persona
l injury attorney to learn more about what steps you should take next.
Filing a Claim
An Idaho Falls accident attorney may recommend that you file a claim as soon as possible with your insurance company. If you have uninsured motorist coverage or a policy that covers under insured drivers, your policy should kick in and cover the damage to your car and any medical bills you might have. An underinsured driver is someone who has insurance but does not have the minimum amount required by the state. For example, your state might require that drivers carry $20,000 in personal injury protection and the responsible driver only carries $10,000. That driver may also have the minimum amount of insurance required by the state but not have enough to cover the bills you accumulate after that accident.
Suing a Driver
Many professionals recommend that you forgo filing a claim with your insurer in lieu of meeting with an Idaho Falls accident attorney. The responsible driver may ignore your insurer’s calls and avoid contacting you after the accident. An Idaho Falls personal injury attorney can help you decide how to move forward with your case. This will generally result in some type of lawsuit filed against that driver. Your attorney will gather all the necessary evidence needed in court, including photographs of the damage to your vehicle, copies of your medical bills and witnesses who were at the scene.
Getting Your Money
Your Idaho Falls personal injury attorney will stand beside you in court and ensure that the judge hears proof and views evidence relating to the accident. Once the judge makes a decision in your favor, the court will typically create some type of payment plan that allows the responsible driver to make regular payments to you. The judge can also place a lien against the person’s bank account until he or she begins making payments or garnish the individual’s wages and arrange for the money to go to you every month. After an accident involving an uninsured motorist or an underinsured driver, get in touch with an Idaho Falls accident attorney immediately to find out what you can do next.