When a person is injured by another driver, in most cases the maximum they can hope to recover from that party is the limit of their insurance coverage. If they only carry the state minimum coverage in Oregon -- $25,000 for an injured person, $50,000 total for a single accident – this can be woefully inadequate to fully cover the injured party. Fortunately, Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) can help with your damages. A Portland Oregon Personal Injury Attorney can pursue this money should you carry this coverage.
The Benefits of UIM from a Portland Oregon Personal Injury Attorney
While all policies in Oregon carry a minimum of UIM coverage, it is effectively useless. This is because Oregon does not endorse the stacking of policies. Stacking means applying additional coverage to increase the funds available to you. For instance, if a person has two cars (say a husband and a wife), some states allow a person to stack this coverage. Oregon does not. This means that a person may want to add additional UIM coverage in order to ensure that they have some coverage should they be struck by an underinsured motorist. Speak with your insurance agent about potentially adding this coverage and some of the benefits it may offer.
In order to make a first party claim under the insured's UIM coverage, a Portland Oregon Personal Injury Attorney will need to exhaust the policy limits of the at-fault party’s coverage and receive an affidavit attesting that no additional coverage exists. Once they have this, they will pursue damages under your UIM coverage, equal to your own policy limits.
In order to make a person whole after an accident, it is important to find all monies that can cover a person. At Johnson Law, we will doggedly pursue every dollar available to you under the law. Whether that is third party coverage or coverage available under your own insurance policy, we will fight to make you as whole as possible after an accident.
If you have been injured in a car accident and need help, contact a Portland Oregon Personal Injury Attorney at Johnson Law right away for a free consultation.
