Should You Decline Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Underinsured motorist coverage is available for drivers in Oklahoma. While not required, it can be a financial lifesaver if you are involved in a car accident caused by a negligent, underinsured driver. If you are wondering whether to purchase or decline the optional underinsured motorist coverage, there are some points that you should consider.

Oklahoma Underinsured Motorist Coverage

In Oklahoma, all motorists are required to carry liability insurance coverage. The required coverage is 25/50/25. This means that each policyholder must carry $25,000 for bodily injuries per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

To purchase underinsured motorist coverage, you must speak to your insurance agent to ensure they offer this type of coverage. If you purchase an underinsured motorist policy and are in an accident involving a motorist who is uninsured or underinsured, the policy will pay you, your family, or your passengers for the personal injuries they sustained in the car accident. Underinsured or uninsured motorist policies will also cover you if you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

It May Be Difficult to Recover Compensation Following a Car Wreck with an Uninsured Driver

Even if you carry underinsured motorist coverage, you may struggle to recover proper compensation. Perhaps you are in an accident with a driver who has insurance coverage but not enough to cover the damages that the accident produced. You will be responsible for filing a claim with your underinsured motorist insurance policy.

This may be more challenging than you would expect. Insurance companies are in business to make profits. They will do their best to avoid paying insurance claims. So, expect difficulties getting them to pay off underinsured motorist claims, no matter how legitimate.

To navigate the complexities seemingly built into the underinsured insurance policy business, contact an insurance claim attorney in Oklahoma to sort out the issues surrounding your claim. At BDIW, our knowledgeable team wants you to recover the full damages to which you are entitled.

Damages You May Experience

Involvement in an automobile crash resulting from someone else’s negligence can create a stressful, overwhelming situation. Money goes out, bills come in, and often it’s hard to make ends meet. Financial woes, health concerns, and dealing with insurance companies can have a negative impact on nearly every aspect of your life.

Some of the damages you may be facing are as follows:

• Medical expenses can mount quickly. They begin on the ambulance ride to the emergency room and continue through hospital stays, diagnostic tests, procedures, treatments, and therapies. Follow-up appointments and care from specialists all become overwhelmingly expensive fast.
• Missed work due to your injuries can cause you to struggle financially, as most people need their weekly income to make ends meet.
• Property damage is another expensive impact a car accident can have on a person. Replacing or repairing a vehicle can get expensive if your insurance is not cooperative about paying for your needs.
• Depending on your injuries, expensive home alterations may be required. This might mean the addition of ramps or stairlifts, grab bars, and redesigned bathrooms and kitchens.
• Transportation to and from doctor’s appointments, therapies, and treatments can become expensive as well, depending on where you live and how difficult it is to get to the areas where the appointments are made.
• Pain and suffering is a very real damage experienced by those suffering after being victims of automobile accidents.
• Physical recovery takes time, and some of the rehabilitation required can become expensive, especially if it is paired with missed work as well.
• Emotional anguish can be life-altering and can impact all aspects of an accident victim’s life. Suffering from anxiety disorders and depression are not uncommon. Post-traumatic stress disorder can require therapy and long-term care to overcome.
• Loss of enjoyment of life is non-economic damage that you may be entitled to if you can no longer do the things you once enjoyed because of the accident.
• Loss of consortium is damage that the partner or spouse of an accident victim could be eligible for if they have lost companionship, security, and intimacy because of the wreck.
• An accident victim may experience a loss of future earnings if they are no longer able to do the job they once did or if they missed opportunities due to the injuries they experienced.

This is not an exhaustive list of damages, but it gives you some insight into the damages you may experience if involved in an accident.

Why Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney May Be in Your Best Interest

Boettcher, Devinney, Ingle & Wicker have experience with dealing with uninsured or underinsured motorist accidents. Our goal is to fight for our clients so that they are able to receive restitution for the damages they have incurred following a car accident due to the negligence of another driver who does not have enough insurance coverage to pay what they owe.

Contact us today if you have been injured or involved in an automobile that an underinsured driver caused or if the driver responsible for the accident fled the scene. We offer free consultations and will be beside you as your file your claim until a proper settlement is offered. We are prepared to negotiate on your behalf and go before the court if negotiations seem ineffective.

Include the Underinsured Motorist Insurance

Though getting your money may not always be easy, it is still in your best interest to purchase underinsured motorist coverage. Our skilled attorneys understand how to best work with insurance companies to make sure your needs are fairly met following a car accident. Underinsured motorist coverage is not typically very expensive, but has the potential to save you a bundle.

Contact Us Today

If you or someone you care about has been in a car accident and has sustained injuries or damages due to the negligence of an underinsured motorist or if the driver left the scene, the expenses can become astronomical quickly. At BDIW, our team is waiting to help you. We will investigate your accident, assess the damages and pursue the maximum possible compensation.

Contact us today for a free consultation.