When a married couple was rear ended and left with significant injuries, that could have been the worst of it. Turns out, the other driver didn’t have insurance. In this case, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage becomes vital to getting you everything you need to be made whole again.
Farah & Farah accident attorney Andrew Scott breaks down how he was able to tap into every possible benefit available for these clients and secure more than half a million dollars in the process.
What Happens When You’re Hit by an Uninsured Motorist?
Our clients had just enjoyed a wonderful outing when they were suddenly rear-ended. The accident would leave them both injured and their vehicle in need of repairs. The at-fault driver didn’t have any insurance, which meant that the only option available was the couple’s uninsured motorist insurance.
Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage isn’t something you’re required by law to have, so many drivers opt out of coverage. However, this can be a huge risk, especially given that more than a million drivers in Florida are completely uninsured. This means that if you are hit by an uninsured driver and you don’t have UM coverage on your policy, you may be left paying all of your expenses out of pocket.
Rear-End Accidents Can Have Severe Injuries: Herniated Discs, Nerve Impingement, Labral Tears
After the collision, both of our clients were facing severe injuries. The wife had multilevel herniations in her lumbar spine and impingement on her nerve roots. The husband had herniated discs at three levels in his neck, as well as a significant tear to his labrum in his shoulder.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that a herniated disc is a slipped, ruptured, or bulging disc as a result of a tear or leak. Herniated discs can also lead to sciatica, which is an incredibly painful condition. Both husband and wife would need physical therapy, chiropractic care, round after round of injections, and surgery—with additional surgeries likely required in the future.
Why Do Insurance Companies Low-Ball Accident Claims?
An element that made this case immediately difficult was that the insurance carrier wanted to offer significantly less than what the case was actually worth. Unfortunately, this is par for the course with almost every insurance carrier. They may try to either delay, underpay, or simply deny a claim rather than pay a policyholder what they’re entitled to. At Farah & Farah, we know the insurance carriers’ tactics and don’t quit until we’ve sought every penny our clients are entitled to under the law.
In this case, the husband was an electrician and self-employed. After the accident, he bravely tried to continue working even through debilitating neck pain. Our client recalls trying to service an electrical problem only to realize he couldn’t due to the numbness and tingling in his hands.
Since our clients didn’t have medical insurance, our firm helped the husband and wife get to the right doctors and right treatments to take care of their injuries from the crash. Insurance tried to say the husband’s ongoing pain was a result of his age and line of work, but the treating physicians’ reports helped refute these claims.
How Do You Determine How Much a Car Accident Case Is Worth?
Two pivotal aspects of the case that helped determine its value included the fact that the husband and wife had lingering symptoms and would likely need more invasive surgery in the future. “At Farah & Farah, we always seek to get the full value of our client’s policy,” Scott explains. “I had two clients who were enduring ongoing pain management – what does their future entail?”
When valuing cases, our accident attorneys consider everything that was taken away by the accident, both now and in the future. We look at medical costs, property damage, loss of future income, and every other cost associated with the accident. We also seek the full value of insurance because it’s impossible to put a number on the true human costs of the accident.
Those human costs can be things like not being able to enjoy a hobby you love anymore or being able to pick your grandkids up in a big bear hug. The insurance carriers don’t always like to acknowledge these costs, but they are real, they are raw, and they are why we always seek maximum compensation.
Because attorney Andrew Scott uncovered multiple lines of available uninsured motorist coverage, he was able to secure $540,000 for this very deserving couple.
In an Accident and Unsure About What Comes Next? Talk to Us.
If a car accident has turned your life upside down and you feel like insurance is giving you the runaround, you can contact an attorney today to talk things over. Our dedicated team will answer any time of the day or night to help outline what options you have to move forward.
