What happens when the other party to a car accident does not have enough insurance to cover the totality of the injuries and damage caused by the car accident? An all too common issue here in California. While the good news is that the state requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of insurance coverage so there is some money there to help handle the very scenario you are struggling with no, the California car insurance minimum often falls seriously short of the needs of the car accident victim.
CALIFORNIA CAR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The state of California requires that all cars operating or parked on their roadways carry a certain level of financial responsibility (aka insurance). Your insurance coverage must be on you at all times when you are driving so that you can show law enforcement when asked and share with parties to a car accident. Here’s a look at the minimums outlined in California Insurance Code Section 11580.1 (b):
- $15,000 for injury or death to one person
- $30,000 for injury or death to more than one person
- $5,000 for property damage
Often listed or referred to as 15/30/5 coverage you can easily see how these numbers fall well below the needs of a car accident. For instance, you may have no major physical injuries following an accident but your car has some major damage. When you are hit by someone with the coverage minimums listed below, the most you can get from their policy is $5,000 for the damage to your car.
UNDERINSURED CAR ACCIDENT LAWSUITS
Who makes up the difference? Similar to those scenarios in which you are hit by a driver with no car insurance, when you max out the policy limits for the other driver you can then go after the coverage in your own policy. Many of our clients do not realize that they have coverage for this very scenario but you do and that is where we will work with (or in many instances, fight against) your own insurance company to get you the money you deserve following a car accident with an underinsured driver. Unless you declined this specific coverage in writing, you very likely have some level of uninsured and undersinsured coverage (listed on your policy as UIM Coverage). So going back to the example above– say the damage to your car was around $20,000. We would first exhaust the $5,000 policy limit of the other driver and then seek the remaining $15,000 from your own policy, if that amount is available.
You can’t control who you get into a car accident with and for that reason it is always important to take a look at your policy and make sure that your coverage in this area is high enough. If you are reading this and have not been in an accident but want to make sense of your insurance policy, you are welcome to give us a call and we will take a look for you. Underinsrued car accidents are complicated and insurance companies will almost always try to offer you a lowball amount to save money on their end. At Walch Law, we have handled thousands of these types of cases and know how to maximize your recovery. If you have recently been injured in a California car accident, please give us a call today to discuss your case further. We take all our cases on a contingency fee basis meaning you don’t pay us anything until you get paid. We look forward to working with you
Nine Reasons To Choose Us
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ResultsWhen looking for a California wrongful death lawyer, you want a law firm that can get you the money you deserve. At Walch Law, we don't just meet our clients' expectations, we exceed them. We win over 95% of our cases and will work hard to get you the same great results we have gotten for so many of our happy clients. When it comes to handing a California wrongful death case, resolving your case as quickly as possible for as much money as possible is how we approach every case.
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ExperienceFounding partner Gary Walch started this law firm to help people in your very situation. With over forty years of experience, you can feel confident that when you hire Walch Law Firm, you are benefiting from his years of experience. Robert Walch has been with the firm since 2000 and has a track record of success, as does the rest of the highly qualified staff at Walch Law. A family firm with the resources of a big law firm means you get the best of both worlds.
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TrustThere are lots of law firms that will happily take your business but very few will deliver results and handle your case the way that we do. We understand and respect how difficult this time is for you and our family. When you hire Walch Law Firm you are hiring a family firm that you can trust. We have a stellar reputation within the legal community and among our clients.
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Contingency FeeFor many individuals and families following a death it is not just an emotional time but a stressful financial time as well—hiring an attorney should help relieve this financial stress which is why you hire us on a contingency fee arrangement. Translation: you don't pay for any fees or costs associated with your case until you get paid. We have the financial resources of a large law firm but the accessible environment of a small firm meaning your case won't get lost in the shuffle.
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CommunicationWhenever you are ready, we are available to talk and this open and available communication model is something that our clients enjoy until their case is closed. We keep you informed and updated on your case every step of the way, always explain what's happening in plain English and ultimately deliver on our promise to get you paid.
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Recent VictoriesWinning over 95% of our cases means that you can feel very confident when you hire us to help with your case. Some of our recent victories include a $5,000,000+ settlement for a car accident, $1,250,000 settlement for a wrongful death pedestrian case and $2,500,000 for injuries related to a subway accident.
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SupportFirst and foremost, you are suffering a major traumatic loss and we understand that. We can help with counseling, medical professionals and other important resources during this time. Your focus should be on dealing with this loss, let us take care of all the legal details.
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Family FirmThere are small firms that might not be able to front the costs of your case and there are big law firms that will easily take your case but lack any type of personal touch (and you might have trouble hearing back from them when you want to) and then there's Walch Law Firm. We can handle any case and pride ourselves on our accessibility to clients. Father-son duo Gary & Robert Walch treat everyone like family and this personal touch is something that our clients as well as our employees constantly e!
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Se Habla Espanol!¿Busca un abogado de habla hispana ayudar con su caso de la muerte ilícito de California? No busque más. Somos una firma de abogados de servicio completo de habla hispana que puede ayudarle durante este tiempo difícil tiempo. Llama nos o correo electrónico hoy para su consulta gratuita para aprender más.
