Uninsured motorist coverage can be a component of an auto insurance policy that covers car repairs and medical bills of the victim if he or she is hit by a driver without any car insurance.

In typical auto accident cases, the auto liability coverage of the driver at fault pays for the necessary car repairs and medical bills. However, if the at-fault driver doesn’t have any car insurance, the victim may have to pay those expenses out of his or her pocket. This is where uninsured motorist coverage is very necessary.

Unfortunately, the  number of accidents in American roads involving uninsured motorists is on the rise.. According to the latest statistics, one of eight drivers at fault is uninsured. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, it is the duty of your insurance company to protect your interest. However, the hard reality is that most of the insurance companies leave no stone unturned to deny the legitimate claims made by their clients. This is why it makes sense to understand the process of filing a strong uninsured motorist claim.

What is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

In case of an accident, in every American state, demonstration of financial responsibility is one of the requirements of the motorists. In most instances, this refers to some kind of auto insurance, even if at a minimum level. In some states, however, auto insurance is not mandatory for motorists that set aside a significant amount of money for accidents.

If you are ever involved in an accident with a driver that doesn’t have liability insurance,    Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) can help cover your damages. This is a mandatory requirement in more than twenty states for physical injury coverage. A handful of these states require UM for property damage, as well as physical injury coverage. Physical injury damages include lost wages, medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, burial expenses, and pain and suffering. On the other hand, property damages include vehicle repair cost, the rental cost during the repairing of the vehicle, the value of the vehicle (if it’s a total loss), and value of the personal property lost because of the accident.

In this context, it is also useful to have some basic idea about Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM). This coverage helps pay for the damages when the victim is hit by a driver with insurance, but the insurance is not enough to cover the damages.

Understanding an Auto Insurance Policy:

Depending on the legal requirements of your state, UM and UIM coverage can be two separate items within the policy or group under one coverage heading. Some states require the insurance companies to offer both UM and UIM to the policyholders. However, the policyholders may reject the coverage by signing a special waiver form.

UM Claims Filing:

Most insurance policies are likely to have a “notification and cooperation” clause. As per this clause, the policy owners are required to inform the insurance company about every accident and cooperate with the company for the investigation of such accidents.  Therefore, notify the company promptly after the accident, even if the at-fault driver claims that he or she has insurance.

Please note that insurance companies mostly have a tight deadline for an uninsured motorist claim filing. This deadline can be as short as thirty days for some companies.

Getting the Claim Accepted:

There are occasions when it takes time to discover that the at-fault driver has no insurance coverage. Drivers may show proof of insurance card that may look valid. However, later on, you may find that the policy had lapsed long ago because of non-payment.

Technically speaking, the filing deadline starts from the day it is determined that the driver was uninsured. Having said that, the insurance company will not accept an uninsured motorists claim if they believe that the deadline has been missed.

If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident, expect more obstacles, because most of the insurance companies are extremely suspicious about claims involving a “phantom driver.” In such instances, many insurance providers require a statement from a third-party witness with high credibility. A credible third-party witness is someone not connected to the victim and has no financial or other gains by their testimony.