A motor vehicle accident can have a devastating impact on you and your family. If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our firm to schedule a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Accurately Assessing Your Personal Injury Case
If you've been injured in an auto accident, you likely have immediate practical concerns that need to be addressed. Talking to an experienced personal injury attorney can help you learn what legal rights you have and ways to address those needs.
I'm attorney Richard Tallo, an experienced Rhode Island trial lawyer. I have helped many clients obtain fair compensation for their motor vehicle accident injuries.
Below is some general information about auto accidents and personal injury law. For a free evaluation of the specific facts of your case, contact me at my offices in Providence. I will charge no attorneys fees unless I am successful at helping you get compensation for your injuries.
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I have been practicing law in Rhode Island for more than 35 years, and as a solo attorney, I personally handle all aspects of every case I take. Contact me to discuss your case.
Auto accidents can cause extremely serious and traumatic injuries, including brain and spine injuries. In some cases, these injuries are fatal. I am experienced at getting fair compensation for seriously injured people and the families of those who have been killed.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists
When a driver refuses or is unable to carry proper motor vehicle insurance, that driver puts more than just him- or herself at risk. If the driver injures another person, the insurance will be inadequate to cover the damages. Injured parties, however, may be covered by their own insurance policies; uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage protects accident victims in these cases. If you have been involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is important to contact an attorney at Law Offices of Richard C. Tallo in Providence, Rhode Island, to create a plan of action.
Uninsured Motorists
Even if your state requires all drivers to carry auto insurance, the driver who injured you or your passenger may not have had insurance. Or you may have been hurt in a hit-and-run accident, making it impossible to identify the driver at all.
This is when uninsured motorist coverage will step in to protect your interests. Many states require auto insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist coverage. If your insurance company offers uninsured motorist coverage, and you chose to include it in your policy, then your insurance company will act as if it were the at-fault driver’s insurance company in compensating you.
When you file an uninsured motorist claim, your insurance company’s interests can be adverse to your interests. Consulting with an attorney before filing a claim is wise.
Underinsured Motorists
When the at-fault driver is underinsured, this means that the driver has purchased an auto insurance policy that does not provide enough coverage for your damages. If you have underinsured motorist coverage, you may be able to collect, from your own insurance company, the amount of your damages that exceeds the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage.
Collecting Insurance Benefits
To recover benefits under an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy, the victim typically will need to show that the other motorist was at fault. The victim will also need to prove that his or her bodily injuries were significant. To collect benefits under an underinsured motorist policy, the victim will need to collect as much as possible from the at-fault driver’s insurance company first.
Stacking Insurance Coverage
In some states and under some insurance policies, an injured party may “stack” various policies to reach a satisfactory level of compensation. By stacking coverage from more than one auto insurance policy — or coverage for more than one car on a single policy — the injured party increases monetary recovery. Stackable coverage is not allowed in every state; in some cases, the insured must choose to have stackable coverage upon purchasing the policy.
Contact an Attorney
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage protects accident victims when they are most vulnerable. Not every policy has such coverage, however, and the victim’s approach to the situation can change the level of compensation he or she receives. Indeed, some rules do not require the victim’s insurance company to pay the victim if the victim settles prematurely with the at-fault motorist’s insurance company. This is why it is so important to work with an experienced attorney from Law Offices of Richard C. Tallo in Providence, Rhode Island.
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