When a negligent driver hits you and takes off, it can be very frustrating. You know you’re not at fault, you know someone else did this to you, but you fear you will not be able to prove it. Fortunately, under Missouri law, you have a right to be compensated by your own insurance company, through uninsured motorist coverage. Skilled Kansas City auto accident lawyers can help you fight for the compensation you deserve, even if the other driver ran off.
Missouri Uninsured Motorist Coverage
If you are in doubt about what type of insurance coverage is required in Missouri, you can go directly to the Department of Insurance for answers. But, for the sake of simplicity, all Missouri insurance policies include uninsured motorist coverage. If your policy was written for you in Missouri and does not include uninsured motorist coverage, then you should report this to the Department of Insurance and consider finding a different company. Uninsured motorist coverage cannot exceed the amount of liability coverage you carry.
Situations Uninsured Motorist Insurance Will Cover
In general, uninsured motorist coverage is designed to cover two general situations in Missouri. These are:
Uninsured at-fault drivers
If the driver who causes a collision carries no auto insurance, then you may file a claim with your own insurance company. Of course, your insurance company has a right under your policy to request proof that the other driver is uninsured. This can be quite difficult to prove in some cases, but an experienced lawyer can usually obtain verification from the State of Missouri.
Hit and run
When the other driver takes off, it can be very difficult to prove liability or obtain compensation from the other vehicle. But the good news is uninsured motorist coverage is designed for this reason as well. Sadly, many Missouri insurance companies will try to avoid paying, based on silly and even laughable grounds.
Situations that Uninsured Motorist Insurance Will NOT Cover
There are, of course, things your uninsured motorist policy will not cover. In most cases, it will not cover these:
Phantom vehicles
If you claim that a phantom vehicle ran you off the road, and you hit a tree, you would generally have to have some evidence that another vehicle was involved. A witness, video proof, or some other type of evidence may suffice. But completely unwitnessed phantom accidents are usually denied.
Passengers in non-owned vehicles
Uninsured motorist coverage is designed to protect you and your passengers from injuries in your car. When you are in a vehicle you do not own (e.g. rental cars, loaners, dealership test drivers, etc.), many uninsured motorist policies will exclude your passengers’ injuries. This is why it’s important to for all Missourians to carry auto insurance.
If you are at fault
There are types of coverage that can help with your medical bills, even if you are at fault, such as medical payment coverage. But uninsured motorist coverage is just designed to pay for your injuries if another party is at fault but fails to have insurance. It will not pay if you caused the crash.
Get Help With Your Kansas City Uninsured Motorist Claim
If you’ve been seriously injured by an uninsured motorist in the Kansas City area, you deserve aggressive representation to help you recover for your injuries, even if it means fighting your own insurance company. At the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm, we work hard to recover compensation for our clients, and we never take a fee unless we can recovery. Call us for a free consultation today.
