Chicago Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Accident Lawyers
Finding Ways to Maximize Your Recovery
According to numerous highway safety groups, approximately 12-to-15% of all drivers in America do not have insurance. Countless more have minimal insurance coverage that will not do too much to pay for damages if they ever cause a car accident. If you have been in a crash with one of these many drivers in Chicago, then the road ahead of you can be frustrating, but it isn’t hopeless.
At McHargue & Jones, LLP, we take pride in making the most of our clients' cases, including uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) accident claims. Thanks to our decades of collective legal experience – our firm opened its doors in 2000 – we know where to look for applicable insurance policies and other means of recovering compensation. Although it might seem like you can’t get much compensation now for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more, we would like to get the chance to explore your options with you and see if there is a way to make things right again.
Call us at (312) 739-0000 or contact us online for a free consultation after being hit by an uninsured/underinsured driver.
How Can You Get Money in a UM/UIM Claim?
When you are hit by a driver with no or inadequate insurance, you can use your UM/UIM insurance policy from your auto insurance provider to seek unpaid damages. UM/UIM insurance is not standard on most auto insurance policies, so you might not have it. Our attorneys can help you understand your policy to see if you have this coverage and what to do if you do.
Buying UM/UIM insurance is not the same as getting benefits from that policy. Unfortunately, you could run into the same interference with your insurance provider that you would expect from a third-party insurer.
Your insurance company could make your UM/UIM claim more difficult by:
- Saying your crash does not qualify for UM/UIM insurance for an unspecific reason.
- Undervaluing your damages to save their bottom line.
- Delaying your claim or an investigation into the crash without due cause.
- Denying your claim outright despite having UM/UIM insurance.
MedPay Insurance in Illinois
Illinois does not have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance but instead has MedPay. This type of insurance is supplemental to health insurance and can pay for medical bills after a car accident, regardless of liability. If you can’t wait for medical treatments after a crash with an uninsured/underinsured motorist, then your MedPay insurance can help foot the bill upfront until the rest is sorted.
Using UM Insurance After a Hit & Run
Uninsured motorist insurance can often be used when a driver is injured in a hit-and-run accident. A crash is considered a hit-and-run when one or more parties leave the scene without exchanging identifying or insurance information. Because the driver cannot be identified, it is effectively the same as if they were identified but had no insurance at all. Therefore, UM insurance is generally applicable to hit-and-run accidents, but it might take an accident attorney to remind your insurer of it.
Taking Cases to the Next Level for Our Clients
UM/UIM accident cases can get complicated the moment they begin. To give yourself a fighting chance against insurance companies that will want to toss your claim aside and leave you with next to nothing, call (312) 739-0000 and connect with McHargue & Jones, LLC in Chicago. We bring extensive experience, genuine compassion, and a never-back-down spirit to every case we handle.
Contact our firm today. We look forward to helping you however we can.