What if you were in a car accident and it seems like you may be the one considered at fault? Even if you're not at fault in a car accident, you can still be sued by another party involved if they believe you caused the accident. So will your car insurance company hire a lawyer for you? It is your car insurance company's "duty to defend"; therefore, they should provide legal representation for you if you are being sued. In most cases, your car insurance company should pay out the value of the claim to the alleged victim. In cases where your car insurance company does not pay out the value, or full value of the claim, you still can be potentially sued.
What if the car accident was catastrophic?
In cases where a car accident was catastrophic where life-long injuries or even death occur, not only may your car insurance payout the full value of the claim, but there is also a good chance that you can still be sued by the victim on top of what the payout was.
Why would my car insurance deny hiring me a lawyer?
One reason your car insurance may not provide a lawyer for you in a car accident is if you do not have bodily injury coverage on your car insurance policy. Bodily injury liability is coverage that helps you pay for another person's injuries in a car accident for which you may be found at fault. Without bodily injury liability coverage in the state of Florida, you are at extreme risk of being personally responsible for medical bills and other damages for an individual in a car accident you were involved in.
What if the other driver has no bodily injury coverage?
If you were the one injured in a car accident, you have two ways of going about receiving compensation if the other motorist was underinsured. First, you can sue the other individual which in many cases may not be enough to cover your medical expenses. Additionally, if you have uninsured motorist coverage, your own car insurance policy will pay you for any losses, injures, and damages that you are entitled to in order to recover from a negligent/uninsured motorist.
Car insurance disclosures are not easy to read. If you have any questions about your policy, we would be more than happy to review your disclosure to determine what your duties and obligations are before it's too late! If you would like an overview of what your car insurance covers, call us at (561) 671-5995 or click here to contact us now.
