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Fort Wayne Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer and Attorney Blog

What to Do When Hit by an Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist

By Jack H. FarnbauchNovember 5, 2017

Even though insurance is required by law for all drivers on the road, many accidents are caused by drivers carrying no insurance. However, if you opted into uninsured motorist coverage when you signed up for your insurance policy, you can recover from your own insurance company. 

By law, each insurance company must provide uninsured motorist insurance (UMI) in newly written policies in Indiana. The minimum coverage for uninsured motorist insurance is $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for one person. Also, $50,000 in bodily injury coverage for more than one person and $10,000 in property damage coverage is the minimum. You can also choose to purchase higher amounts of coverage just as you can with your liability insurance coverage.

If you do have UMI coverage and the driver who caused the accident is uninsured, you must file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance company. A UMI claim is handled in the same way as a liability insurance claim. You must prove that the other driver caused the collision, the driver was uninsured, you were injured, and you suffered damages to receive compensation for your claim. However, your insurance company does not automatically pay every UMI claim that is filed. It may be necessary for you to hire an attorney to pursue your rightful claim. Call Sweeney Law Firm if you have questions about uninsured or underinsured motorist claims.