Our client was involved in a motor vehicle accident wherein she was seriously injured. The Magna Law Firm was able to settle her case for the policy limits, in this case $100,000.00, with the at-fault party’s automobile insurance carrier. Although this was a significant settlement amount, we still felt that this amount would not adequately compensate our client for the injuries that she sustained as a result of this car accident. Our firm understands that in every case that we handle it is extremely important that all avenues of insurance recovery be thoroughly explored in order to make sure that our clients are fully compensated.
All Minnesota motor vehicle owners must have automobile insurance. Minnesota law requires all drivers to carry minimum levels of uninsured (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Uninsured (UM) coverage covers a person when an at-fault driver fails to carry automobile insurance. Underinsured (UIM) coverage covers a person when an at-fault driver does not have enough insurance to adequately compensate the person for injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
In this case, the driver who was at fault for the accident that injured our client had an insurance policy subject to a personal injury liability limit of $100,000.00 for any one individual. Although we were able to secure the policy limits for our client, it was our opinion that this did not fully compensate our client for her injuries. As such, we determined that our client was entitled to underinsured motorist benefits from her automobile insurance company. Our firm was able to make the argument and negotiate with our client’s insurance company to cover her damages up to the limits of her UIM insurance policy. The Magna Law Firm was able to add another $100,000.00 toward our client’s compensation, upping the total settlement amount in this case to $200,000.00.
Simply stated, UM and UIM coverage is protection for you and your family in the event of a car crash. If you are involved in an accident, it is important to understand that there may be excess insurance available through your own policy if the policy limits of the at-fault driver are not sufficient to compensate you for your injuries. There may be other insurance policies to tap into, as well. It is essential that all avenues of insurance recovery be comprehensively explored in order to make sure that you are fully compensated. At the Magna Law Firm, we work closely with our clients and we take the time to completely review every case in order to ensure that our clients are fully and fairly compensated from every source available.
