Jackson Hit & Run Lawyer
While the police will do their best to try to track down the vehicle that hit you, they only sometimes have surveillance footage good enough to track down a vehicle. In other cases, the crash accident victim is left to pay for their own injuries and repair work on their vehicle unless they carry uninsured motorist coverage on their policy. Hit-and-run accidents in which the driver cannot be found fall under uninsured motorists. In this article, we’ll discuss uninsured motorist coverage, hit-and-run accidents, and how they apply to an accident claim, as well as how our Jackson hit & run accident lawyer can help.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
All insurance companies that offer traffic accident liability coverage are required to also offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. A policyholder must reject the offer in writing to avoid paying for it. But you should never do that! When you are involved in a hit-and-run accident and the at-fault driver cannot be found, your uninsured motorist coverage will pick up the tab for your vehicle repairs and your physical injuries. Since nearly one-quarter of all drivers on the road are uninsured, it makes a great deal of sense not to reject the offer.
Troubles with insurance companies
Insurance companies have a fiduciary duty to represent the best interests of their clients. Nonetheless, they have broad leeway under the law to deny claims so long as they can find a good reason. Sometimes, insurance companies are more invested in finding a good reason to deny your claim, than fulfilling their fiduciary duty to their policyholder under the law. In these cases, a lawyer can help poke holes in the insurance company’s case, and leverage them into satisfying the claim.
What will my personal injury lawyer do during my uninsured motorist claim?
While you are getting treatment for your injuries, your personal injury lawyer will gather all the evidence relating to your injuries, treatment, and more. We will draft a formal demand for damages relating to your current and future medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering injuries you may have.
Bad faith insurance actions
In some cases, insurance companies like to test the boundaries of the law and see what they can get away with. This means that they do deny otherwise valid claims. When this happens, you can file a lawsuit against the insurance company to force them to honor the terms of the policy.
While other states have codified bad-faith proceedings, Mississippi remains one of the states that have not. Instead, Mississippi has a policyholder’s bill of rights which was passed shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Bad faith practices include:
- Denying a valid claim without just cause
- Delaying unreasonably the proceedings to avoid payment
- Failing to conduct an adequate investigation prior to a denial
- Attempting to “settle” a claim by only paying a portion of the money owed
- Failing to inform the policyholder concerning uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage options
- Making false or misleading statements
Talk to a Jackson Hit and Run Accident Lawyer
Keith B. French Law, PLLC helps those who have been in hit-and-run accidents file claims with their insurance company. Call today to learn more!
