Making Sure You Are Covered In Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Accidents
Minnesota law requires all drivers and owners to have insurance on their vehicles. Sadly, some people choose not to follow this law. In fact, about 12% of all drivers in Minnesota do not have car insurance. And many more drivers do not carry enough insurance.
Our legal team at Paige J. Donnelly, Ltd., can advocate for you and explain your options if you are involved in a crash with an underinsured or uninsured driver. For more than 50 years, the Paige J. Donnelly, Ltd., has been helping injured people fight the insurance companies in the state of Minnesota for the benefits they are entitled to under Minnesota’s insurance laws. We do everything we can to make sure our clients receive insurance coverage for the damages they suffer in uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist accidents and cases involving no-fault insurance coverage.
What Minnesotans Should Know About UM/UIM Accidents
In an accident, sometimes the at-fault driver does not have enough insurance to take care of the medical bills and harm done. If you are injured, how will you get compensation? Fortunately, when you purchase insurance for your vehicles, you automatically receive UM/UIM coverage. If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, you can receive compensation from your own policy.
For example, say you are in a crash and have $80,000 in medical bills. The doctor both restricts you from going to work and recommends future care. However, the at-fault driver only has $30,000 in coverage. Clearly, there is not enough to cover all of the harm done. Not only do you have $50,000 in unpaid medical bills, but you also have lost wages. You need to turn to UM/UIM coverage.
What Is No-Fault Insurance?
Minnesota has something called no-fault insurance. Contrary to popular belief, no-fault insurance does not mean that no one can be at fault in an automobile accident. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Regardless of who may be responsible for causing an accident, each individual involved can make claims with their insurance carrier. The purpose behind these laws is to provide any person harmed as the result of the negligent operation of a motor vehicle adequate coverage so the injured party can seek proper health care and other services.
No-fault insurance can cover damages such as:
- Medical expenses
- Disability and income loss benefits
- Replacement services and loss
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Survivors’ economic loss benefits
- Survivors’ replacement services loss
The basic limits in Minnesota are $20,000 for medical expenses and an additional $20,000 to cover a combination of income loss, replacement services, funeral expenses, survivor’s economic loss and survivor’s replacement services. Unfortunately, many people do not follow the laws to carry no-fault insurance coverage on their vehicles. Because of these uninsured drivers, the laws surrounding who is entitled to a claim, and against whose insurance carrier, gets very complicated. This is where the attorneys and staff at the Paige J. Donnelly, Ltd., can help you the most.
Ask Our Team How We Can Help With Your Insurance Concerns
The law surrounding motor vehicle accidents, injuries and insurance is incredibly complicated. Fortunately, our lawyers are available to help you make sense of it and stand up for your needs. You can schedule a free, confidential consultation by calling our St. Paul office at 651-728-7070 or toll-free at 800-559-9859. To reach us online, send us an email.