If you have been involved in a car collision in North Carolina, you may wonder how you may recuperate by receiving compensation for your damages. Although motorists in North Carolina are required to hold car insurance coverage by law, many North Carolina drivers may be underinsured or uninsured altogether. If an at-fault driver is underinsured or uninsured, you may be concerned about how you may recover from your damages. Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage is required in North Carolina by statutory law. This requirement helps to ensure that drivers are covered in the event that an at-fault driver does not have sufficient coverage to cover the damages associated with the car collision.
If you have been involved in an auto accident in North Carolina, you may find that dealing with car insurance policies and claims can be complicated. Speak with an experienced car collision lawyer to review your legal options. Our attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters’, have over 65 years of collective experience representing car accident injury victims. Call (800) 529-0804, or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can help take some of the pressure off your back so that you may focus your time and energy on recovering from the accident.
North Carolina Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You may be unsure as to what uninsured motorist coverage is and why you may need it. Below you will find helpful information regarding North Carolina uninsured motorist coverage and how it may assist you if you are involved in an accident.
What Will Uninsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Insurance Cover?
All drivers in the state of North Carolina are legally obligated to obtain uninsured/underinsured (UI/UIM) motorist insurance. UI/UIM insurance will allow you to file a claim with your own insurer in the event that you are involved in an accident and sustain injuries and the at-fault driver does not have adequate insurance coverage to cover your damages. UI/UIM insurance will cover damages from the collision that were sustained by either you, the driver of your vehicle, or your passengers up to your policy coverage limit. Again, North Carolina uninsured motorist coverage and liability insurance coverage is required to be held by each driver by law. Still, if drivers involved in a car accident are found not to have sufficient coverage, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage will be there to protect you.
Proving You Are Entitled to Compensation
When an individual files an uninsured motorist claim, insurers require that the injured party prove they are entitled to compensation for their damages. Despite the fact that filing a UI/UIM claim is not the same as proving in court that you are legally entitled to compensation for your injuries, insurers often still require injured parties to prove the at-fault uninsured driver was the cause of the claimant incurring their injuries. Additionally, due to North Carolina’s contributory negligence laws, if you are found to be even partially at fault for the accident, an insurance company may deny your uninsured motorist claim. As these matters can become complex, it is best to discuss your case with an experienced North Carolina car collision attorney. It may be difficult to successfully obtain compensation from your uninsured motorist claim, as insurers will often look for any way that they can deny a claim.
How Much Compensation Will I Receive?
When it comes to car insurance, frequently, your uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage amounts will be identical to your liability coverage amounts. In the event that you are in a collision with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, your UI/UIM coverage will cover your damages related to the accident up to your policy limits.
UI/UIM insurance will typically cover the following in North Carolina:
- Collisions brought on by a driver who does not hold liability coverage
- Crashes brought on by a motorist whose insurer denies fault/liability
- Crashes caused by a motorist whose insurance company has filed for bankruptcy
- Accidents brought on driver who drove an uninsured vehicle
Although you hold uninsured motorist coverage, your insurer may still attempt to deny your claim. Speaking with an attorney who can fight for your rights is essential to receiving the best possible outcome for your claim.
What if I Became Injured from a Hit-and-Run?
Getting hit by a hit-and-run driver is often highly stressful. However, your UI/UIM insurance coverage should cover any damages to your vehicle or medical expenses incurred from the accident up to your policy limits. If you have been involved in or have become injured from a hit-and-run accident, our experienced attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ are here to help.
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in North Carolina?
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in North Carolina? Yes, drivers are required by law to hold a minimum of $30,000 in uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person and $25,000 in uninsured motorist property damage per accident. Underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage will cover medical expenses and vehicle repair costs if the at-fault motorist does not hold enough coverage to cover the damages. Typically, following an accident, the at-fault driver’s liability coverage would cover accident-incurred expenses. Yet, receiving compensation for your injuries can be difficult if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. Since receiving compensation from an at-fault driver who is underinsured or uninsured can be so incredibly difficult, underinsured, or uninsured motorist coverage can be incredibly helpful in lessening concerns as to whether or not you will be protected if such a collision occurs. Underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage will put you at ease to know that your damages will be covered in the event you are involved in a collision with an underinsured or uninsured motorist.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage in North Carolina
Even though liability and uninsured motorist coverage in North Carolina is required by law, roughly 7% of motorists have no insurance coverage despite it being mandatory. Car collisions can be extremely expensive. This is why the added protection of uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance is an excellent investment for many drivers to ensure they will have the coverage they need when they need it.
North Carolina Uninsured Motorist Attorney
The claims process can become quite complex if you are involved in a car collision with an uninsured driver. As insurance companies are for-profit organizations, they often try to get by paying out the lowest settlement amount possible to car accident injury victims or purposefully denying a claim. However, a car accident injury victim has a right to receive just and adequate compensation for their damages if another party’s negligence caused them to incur damages.
An experienced car accident attorney can fight and negotiate with insurers on your behalf. Your lawyer will carefully review your policy and advise you on your best options for pursuing recovery for your damages. Contact the experienced team of car accident attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters’, by calling (800) 529-0804 or contacting us online to receive your free and confidential case evaluation.
