You often hear car accident lawyers talk about what uninsured motorist coverage is. However, it is very rare when you hear anyone mention uninsured property damage coverage. Believe it or not, these are two very different concepts. Uninsured motorist coverage will cover anything from injuries and pain and suffering; however uninsured/underinsured property damage will only cover damage that has been done to your vehicle or other personal items in your vehicle at the time of the accident. Today, we are going to go over what uninsured property damage is, the difference between UIM/UM and UMPD (uninsured motorist property damage) and what that means for your personal injury claim.
So, you have been in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance or have the minimum amount of insurance that you can purchase; but their insurance will not cover all of the damages done to your property. What do you do? Where do you go from here? Believe it or not, not all insurance policies are equal. In the state of California, it is not required to have uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD); it is rather considered an add-on to your policy. But what does it do?
UMPD is not only financial protection but it is peace of mind when someone without insurance or very little insurance hits your vehicle. UMPD can help pay for any repairs to your car when you have been hit by someone who is not carrying insurance or even if your car sustains damage due to a hit-and-run accident.
For instance, let’s say you were in an accident where your car needs extensive work to repair but the person who hit you does not have enough property damage liability coverage, the UMPD on your own insurance policy will pick up whatever the at-fault party’s insurance company cannot cover. That being said, the availability, the minimums and maximums, etc. will vary by state; UMPD may also include coverage to your home and other personal property that was damaged at the time of the accident. An example: you had laptop or your cell phone in your car and the accident you were in was severe enough to cause damage to your phone and/or laptop; UMPD will cover the damages done to your personal property.
For more information go to California Insurance Information
Uninsured motorist property damage can be extremely helpful if you do not have collision coverage. If your insurance policy does not include collision, UIM, or UMPD you will likely have to pay any expenses related to damage to the vehicle out of your own pocket. The underlying difference between UIM and UMPD is that you can use UIM to help pay for medical care along with med payments as well as any damages to the vehicle. UMPD is solely for recovering damages for property.
Though the state of California does not require insured drivers to carry UMPD, the team at Silverthorne Attorneys highly recommend this add-on to your insurance policy. This is largely due to the fact that UMPD can help pay for repair bills over and under the at-fault party’s insurance. Meaning, if the at-fault party does not have enough in properly liability coverage on their policy, UMPD will cover the rest at no extra charge to you and you will not suffer from having your premiums raised.
The benefits greatly outweigh any negatives when you have UMPD added onto your insurance policy.
Though limits vary by state, California’s limits include but are not limited to the following:
Make sure to check with your insurance carrier when you are looking into vehicle insurance; also make sure you are checking what the deductibles are for your insurance policy.
When you have been injured and need to find an accident attorney near you and also need to recover property damage, contact Silverthorne Attorneys today to discuss your case. Our team has been practicing personal injury law since 2012 and during this time we have been able to recover multiple seven-figure settlements for our clients. This includes people who have been injured and have had their property damaged due to another person’s negligent actions.
Contact us today to talk directly to one of our car accident lawyers. Consultations are free!
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Silverthorne Attorneys is a personal injury law firm in Orange County. Our top priority and focus is on the people we represent. Our mission is to provide our clients with the best service possible. We work one-on-one with our clients and believe that their needs and requests come first.Lawyers Representing Victims of Serious Car Accidents in Orange CountyWe take the tough cases. The cases that other attorneys refer to us, because they know we won't quit. If you or a family member has been in a car, truck or motorcycle accident you need an experienced orange county car accident lawyer that can help answer your questions, and pursue the maximum compensation available. We know that getting into an accident can wreak havoc on your life. Especially if there are injuries involved. And even more so, if there is significant damage to your vehicle. Working for a car accident lawyer in Southern California, I see how stressful this process is for our clients.Depending on the severity of a car crash, not all injuries suffered will be apparent right away. Our auto accident attorneys know that sometimes a state of shock can set in and cause people to overlook their injuries, especially when the wounds don’t seem serious. We would urge you to call us today to discuss the details of the collision, answer your immediate questions, and discuss a potential strategy on how to get the compensation you are due.... View full business profile here: Ian Silverthorne
