Our client Halil was injured in an accident involving an uninsured driver on November 6, 2016. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital and diagnosed with cervical strain/sprain type of injuries that required physical therapy for a few month. Unfortunately, at the time of the collision, our client was between jobs and did not have health insurance. He was very worried about the medical bills that were piling up. We initially tried contacting the at-fault driver to provide us with her insurance information, without success. We then filed Form 1140with the Missouri Department of Revenue and had her driver’s license suspended for not having insurance.
Next, we filed an Uninsured Motorist claim for Halil with his own insurance company. The purpose of Uninsured Motorist coverage in Missouri is to pay for your damages in case the at-fault party did not carry and automobile liability insurance. You can also sue the individual directly if you know that they are independently wealthy and you may be able to recoup your damages from the personally. However, the chances of that are not very good. Turns out that people who do not have liability insurance for their vehicles are in most instances unable to afford to do so. Accordingly, the best bet to recover in a case like that is to file a claim under your own Uninsured Motorist coverage.
In Missouri, Uninsured Motorist coverage applies to your bodily injury only. If you have a contract of automobile liability coverage in Missouri, it must include at minimum $25,000 of Uninsured Motorist coverage. It protects you from hit-and-run drivers, injuries sustained while in your car or as a pedestrian when hit by an uninsured driver. It does not cover damage to your vehicle.
At the end, as you can see in the picture above, our client Halil was very pleased with the outcome. We covered his medical bills and obtained a fair compensation for his pain and suffering as well.
