To understand uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, it is necessary to understand who uninsured, and underinsured motorists are. Consult a personal injury lawyer Wyoming to get more information about accident claims and their settlement.
Uninsured Motorist
A driver without auto insurance coverage is known as an uninsured motorist.
The insurance covers any physical injuries or damage caused by an accident. Some states also include coverage for property damage.
Underinsured motorists
On the other hand, an underinsured motorist is a person who is covered by insurance but whose limit of liability coverage is not sufficient enough to compensate for an accident caused by them.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage -Differences
Uninsured motorist insurance protects victims of accidents where the faulty driver does not have liability insurance. This insurance covers the damage from such cases.
In the cases of drivers with inadequate liability insurance limits, underinsured insurance coverage helps to compensate for all the medical bills and damage caused by accidents. The driver responsible for the accident will pay for the injuries and harm caused to the victim till the limit of his policy is reached. Then the underinsured motorist coverage insurance will compensate for the remaining damage.
Types of insurance coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorists
Similar to liability insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is of two kinds.
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Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI/UIMBI) coverage
This type of insurance coverage helps to compensate for the medical costs, loss of income, and pain and suffering caused to people present in the car during the accident. It is used in cases where the motorist does not have or has inadequate insurance and may not be able to pay for all the expenses incurred by the victim.
Medical payment coverage or personal injury protection (PIP) is insufficient to compensate for damages. UMBI or UIMBI allows you to obtain insurance with higher limits than they do.
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Property damage coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorists (UMPD/UIMPD)
This type of insurance is created to protect the victim from any kind of property damage. They are used to protect cars in case of a crash. This is applicable when the responsible driver has insufficient insurance or no insurance at all. It is helpful when multiple vehicles are involved in an accident, and the person liable for the accident has lower insurance coverage limits. The UIMPD can help cover the remaining damage charges until the policy limit is reached.
Consult a lawyer.
Hiring an attorney can be very beneficial as they can help you negotiate your claim settlement. They provide essential legal guidance and assist you in the process. An accident can be very traumatizing. However, with the right legal team, you can recover your damages.