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A Seattle underinsured driver accident lawyer can help you seek the compensation you deserve from the insurance company or the at-fault driver. If you’ve ever been involved in a car accident, then you know how complex and frustrating the insurance claims process can be. Imagine going through the process when the person who hit you is an underinsured driver. Not only is the process difficult, but the insurance company is now telling you that the driver doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for your injuries or the damage to your vehicle.
Don’t take chances when your physical and financial recovery are at risk. Call Fang Law Firm today so we can hear about your case in a free consultation.
Recovering the full compensation you deserve is challenging when the driver who caused the accident doesn’t have adequate insurance coverage. It’s important to choose an attorney who can guide you through your options and strategize the best way forward to maximize the amount you recover. At Fang Law Firm, not only do we offer free consultations and contingency-based payment so you pay nothing upfront, but we also provide significant advantages for your case, including the following:
We represent clients with multi-million dollar claims at stake but we also do not hesitate to take on clients facing financial hardship from a single missed paycheck and a hospital bill. When someone else’s careless or reckless driving actions cause injuries and damages, the victims deserve compensation and a sense of justice.
An underinsured driver is a driver that has coverage that is below the Washington state required minimum coverage. Washington state requires the following coverage:
A motorist may have a policy with Washington’s minimum required coverage but this may not be enough to cover the damages to car accident victims with serious injuries and property damage after a major accident. In some cases, an at-fault party in a Seattle car accident may have no coverage at all, requiring an uninsured motorist claim against the victim’s insurance company. Washington ranks as the 12th highest state in the nation for uninsured motorists with an estimated 16.5% of drivers on the roadways with no insurance.
Seattle has some of the worst traffic congestion in the country. There were over 8,000 car accidents in Seattle in 2022 with 26 fatalities and nearly 250 serious injuries. Common causes of car accidents in Seattle include the following:
Car accidents in Seattle are most commonly caused by driver error. When it’s an underinsured driver with insurance coverage that doesn’t provide adequate compensation, it can cause financial hardship and distress for accident victims.
Injuries in car accidents range from mild to catastrophic. The minimum liability coverage provided by most insurers includes ample compensation for mild injuries such as common fractures, soft-tissue injuries like sprains and torn ligaments, and minor cuts and bruises. However, some car accident injuries cause more extensive economic and non-economic damages, often with life-altering consequences. Examples of injuries that cost the victims far more than Seattle’s minimum required auto insurance coverage include the following:
If your loved one was fatally injured by an underinsured or uninsured motorist in Seattle, the Seattle wrongful death attorneys at Fang Law Firm can help you recover additional compensation.
A Seattle underinsured driver accident attorney can:
Ultimately, recovery from an accident involving an underinsured or uninsured driver will likely come from your own insurance company, through underinsured/uninsured motorist benefits. However, just because you have a policy with them doesn’t mean that your insurance company has your best interests at heart. Insurance companies are always looking to minimize payouts when possible and that includes these types of cases. Hiring a personal injury lawyer in Seattle to handle your claim is the best way to get the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.
You should look for a Seattle underinsured driver accident lawyer that has experience in dealing with large insurers and knows all their tricks. Attorneys with this experience will have developed techniques that will maximize your recovery from the little coverage that the at-fault driver has.
Although the state doesn’t require drivers to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance, many drivers wisely choose to add this option to their policies. The minimum recommended UM/UIM coverage provides the following:
If you’ve elected to carry UM/UIM insurance you can make a claim against this policy as well as a claim against the policy of the underinsured motorist to cover a larger portion of your damages.
In a car accident claim, the word “damages” refers to more than just property damage to a vehicle. “Damages” are all the consequences of an accident to the victim, including economic and non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Common damages in Seattle car accident claims include the following:
In some accidents, other non-economic damages apply such as emotional trauma and loss of enjoyment of life. Wrongful death claims by grieving family members after a car accident death brings close family members further compensation such as loss of the loved one’s income and benefits.
In rare circumstances, an injury victim may obtain compensation through a jury award for damages after filing a lawsuit directly against the at-fault driver. This may be beneficial if the underinsured motorist has substantial assets; however, most drivers who carry only the minimum liability coverage or who fail to maintain their insurance coverage do not have adequate financial assets or property to make a lawsuit worthwhile. If you file a lawsuit against the defendant or their insurance company the case must go to court within three years from the date of the accident under Washington’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases.
Your attorney from Fang Law Firm will investigate all aspects of your accident to prove liability, carefully calculate your damages, review all available options for recovering damages, and then strategize the best way forward to maximize the compensation you recover. Besides a claim against the underinsured driver’s insurance and your own underinsured motorist coverage, the following avenues are sometimes available to Seattle car accident victims in collisions with underinsured or uninsured motorists:
Insurance companies use common methods to intentionally undervalue claims. An insurance adjuster’s job is to protect company profits, which comes at the victim’s expense. Your attorney will protect your interests against common insurance company tactics such as the following:
It’s always best to hire a Seattle underinsured/uninsured driver accident attorney soon after your accident, especially an uninsured motorist accident. Then, direct all communication with the insurance company to your lawyer.
It can be difficult to stay calm and purposeful after a serious accident, but taking specific steps can help you recover your financial losses later so you can focus on your physical recovery. After an accident, do the following:
Always go directly to the hospital after a car accident. Ask for a thorough medical evaluation as well as treatment for any obvious injuries. This ensures that you have documentation of every injury and evidence that the injuries occurred in the accident. Save copies of all medical bills and receipts for related expenses. Then, call the Seattle car accident lawyers at Fang Law Firm for a free consultation about your underinsured motorist case.
Most car accident claims are resolved through direct negotiations with one or more insurance companies. However, if your pursuit of compensation requires a lawsuit against your insurance, the insurance company of the underinsured driver, or a personal lawsuit against the motorist, the case requires a trial. Your attorney from Fang Law Firm will ensure that you are prepared and well-practiced for court. Our uninsured and underinsured driver accident lawyers have years of successful litigation experience in Seattle courtrooms so we are perfectly prepared to assertively represent your best interests in court. Court cases take longer to resolve than a settlement, but they often result in larger jury awards for damages than you’d recover in a settlement agreement.
We have worked with large insurers and have developed techniques that will maximize your recovery. At Fang Law Firm, our attorneys are skilled in underinsured driver accident litigation. We have decades of experience working with claimants to obtain a fair settlement amount to cover their damages and medical bills. We will work hard to obtain the outcome you desire. Give us a call today at (206) 489-5140 for a free case consultation. One of our knowledgeable attorneys will review your case and determine your best outcome for financial recovery.