Email
ChatIf the driver that caused your personal injuries does not have enough auto insurance coverage to pay for your damages, you might be able to recover from your own insurance company. How? With Rhode Island underinsured motorist coverage.
As a personal injury law firm, we handle Rhode Island underinsured motorist cases often.
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we frequently investigate, negotiate, and litigate motor vehicle accidents. We often negotiate with at-fault parties’ insurance companies to get our clients paid. But sometimes, the at-fault parties do not maintain enough auto insurance coverage to cover the full extent of our clients’ damages. This is when our clients’ underinsured motorist coverage comes in. Have questions about your case and coverage? Call us anytime to discuss.
To help support our Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts communities, we hope that this case highlight helps you better understand Rhode Island underinsured motorist coverage and why it is important to have it!
Stop Sign Accident Results in Client’s Left Wrist Surgery and Persistent Pain
Rarely do we expect anything to go awry at a stop sign. However, this is just what happened one sunny day in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Our 86-year-old client was traveling south on Providence Pike when she approached a stop sign and stopped, looked both ways, and crossed through the intersection. At the same time, the at-fault driver was traveling west on Pound Hill Road. When the driver approached that same stop sign, they kept going… hitting our client in their path!
The at-fault driver rammed into our client’s driver’s side door, causing over $13,000.00 worth of vehicle damage. More importantly, this crash triggered our client’s airbags to deploy and significantly injured our client.
Our client’s vehicle damage after the accident. The vehicle needed towed from the scene.
Emergency services immediately transported our client to Landmark Medical Center’s emergency room. There, they performed X-rays and CT scans for our client’s head, knee, wrist, and forearm pain. Ultimately, doctors concluded that our client would best benefit from surgical intervention for her fractured left wrist.
Our client’s swollen and fractured left wrist after the accident.
After our client’s surgery, she still felt pain. She remained in a cast for many weeks, and was ultimately discharged with a brace and instructions to wear it around the clock. Our client’s doctor confirmed that she will likely need chiropractic treatment and “invasive pain management” interventions in the future.
Do I have Underinsured Motorist Coverage? If Not, Should I?
Yes, you should maintain underinsured motorist coverage. We at Bottaro Injury Lawyers highly suggest that you select uninsured (UM) and underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage when you purchase your Rhode Island car insurance policy. Doing so can protect you in situations like our client’s, where the at-fault driver did not maintain enough coverage to pay for our client’s damages.
Additionally, 16.5% of Rhode Island drivers drive (illegally) without any auto insurance coverage. Thus, it is important that you maintain UM/UIM coverage to protect yourself when you’re hurt in an accident.
Check your auto insurance policy to see if you have underinsured motorist coverage. In Rhode Island, you are not required to maintain UM/UIM coverage. Rhode Island’s minimum liability coverage includes $25,000.00 in bodily injury per person and $50,000.00 in total per accident. This minimum liability coverage tells you how much your auto insurance will pay when you are at fault in a car accident.
In our client’s case, her $100.000.00 per person underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage paid for the outstanding damages the at-fault driver couldn’t cover. Make sure to speak to a skilled personal injury attorney about your options after sustaining personal injuries in a car accident.
On the other hand, UM/UIM coverage protects you when someone hurts you. In cases where the at-fault driver does not have car insurance to pay for your damages, your UM coverage will kick in. In cases where the at-fault driver does not have enough coverage to pay for your damages, your UIM coverage will kick in. Of course, in order to access your UM/UIM coverage, you need to work closely with your insurance company. We highly encourage you to retain a skilled personal injury law firm after your UM/UIM accident to make sure that you are complying with your auto insurance’s requirements.
What Do I Do When I Discover That the At-Fault Driver Does Not Have Adequate Auto Insurance Coverage?
We highly recommend that you call a skilled personal injury attorney to review your case and work with the insurance companies on your behalf.
In cases like our client’s, your attorney will likely review case details to determine who the at-fault driver is and if they are adequately insured. If they do not have enough insurance to cover your damages, your attorney will begin negotiating with your own insurance company, so long as you have underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage.
Rhode Island underinsured coverage basically allows your insurance company to supplement the cost of any outstanding damages you have. But, like any insurance company, your insurance company does not want to pay for its policyholders’ injuries. This is why it is important to maintain a skilled personal injury law firm, like Bottaro Injury Lawyers, to fight on your behalf and comply with insurance companies’ reporting obligations as well.
While our 86-year-old client went through a lot during and after her accident, we were happy to secure a $205,000.00 settlement for her to live as comfortably as possible moving forward. If you have any questions about how your Rhode Island underinsured motorist coverage may play into your car accident case, call our firm to discuss your options!
It’s Good to Know Mike Bottaro – 24/7 Top-Rated Personal Injury Help
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we care for people. Attorney Mike Bottaro and his award-winning legal team handle all types of personal injury cases throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We can even help on cases in other states as well. We pride ourselves on our honesty, integrity, and results. Contact us 24/7 in any method you prefer for a fast, free, and confidential consultation about your case. Text or call us at 401-777-7777, or fill out our free and confidential online form. We are here to serve and help you!
