Mississippi Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a car crash caused by another driver, you may assume you can pursue compensation for your losses from the at-fault driver. However, recovering compensation may prove difficult if the at-fault driver has little liability insurance coverage or none at all. Fortunately, you may still have options for obtaining financial relief for your injuries and losses. A Gulfport uninsured motorist attorney can help you explore every avenue to get the compensation you need and deserve.

After an auto accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, get experienced legal help to pursue your options for financial recovery. Contact Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, for a free initial case evaluation with a Mississippi uninsured/underinsured motorist accident attorney. We can help you seek compensation for your car repairs, medical bills, and lost income.

What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

In Mississippi, drivers can purchase optional uninsured motorist coverage with their car insurance policy. Uninsured motorist coverage can compensate an insured driver or passenger involved in a car accident caused by a driver who doesn’t have liability insurance coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage also applies in hit-and-run accidents caused by a fleeing driver whom the injured victims cannot identify or locate. This is because insurance companies treat hit-and-run drivers like uninsured motorists, allowing injured policyholders to recover the compensation they are owed.

What Is Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Auto insurance companies in Mississippi also offer optional underinsured motorist coverage for purchase by policyholders. Like uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage may apply when an at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy limits cannot fully compensate an accident victim for their losses. Underinsured motorist coverage may allow an insured accident victim to recover money for the losses they would otherwise seek from the at-fault driver liable.

The injured victim’s insurance provider can typically take a set-off of the at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy. For example, if an injured victim with $100,000 of underinsured motorist coverage gets hit by a driver with the minimum required $25,000 per person of bodily injury liability coverage, the victim can recover up to $75,000 from their uninsured motorist after receiving $25,000 from the at-fault driver’s policy. Alternatively, an insurer may tender the total underinsured motorist coverage policy limit and pursue reimbursement from the at-fault driver and their insurance.

Is Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage Required in Mississippi?

Mississippi does not require drivers to purchase uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, although insurance companies must offer coverage to policyholders when they purchase or renew their policies. Insurers typically bundle uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage together when offering coverage. Policyholders can reject uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in writing.

Mississippi also allows policyholders to “stack” their uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Stacking can occur when an auto insurance policy has two or more vehicles insured under the policy. For example, if a policy has $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and two vehicles insured by the policy, a person insured under the policy can obtain up to $200,000 in coverage if the policy has purchased stacked coverage.

What Happens When an At-Fault Driver Has No Insurance or Not Enough Insurance?

Under Mississippi law, failure to have a car insurance policy with coverage limits that meet the minimum requirements constitutes a misdemeanor offense with a penalty of $100 and a one-year suspension of driving privileges until the motorist can show proof of liability insurance. However, a driver with the minimum liability insurance required by law faces no criminal liability.

The Mississippi insurance law requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident of bodily injury/death liability coverage, and $25,000 per accident of property damage liability coverage.

When you get into a car accident caused by a driver who doesn’t have liability insurance or whose liability coverage policy limit can’t fully compensate you for your losses, you have several options for pursuing financial recovery.

First, you can file uninsured and underinsured motorist claims if you’ve purchased uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If you meet the requirements for coverage under your policy, you might recover compensation that you otherwise would obtain from the at-fault driver.

Alternatively, you may directly pursue a car accident claim against the uninsured/underinsured driver to recover compensation. You might negotiate a settlement with the at-fault driver or file a lawsuit against the driver. If you win your lawsuit, you will obtain a judgment that you can execute against the driver’s assets, such as bank accounts, vehicles, or property. But people with little or no liability insurance coverage frequently have few or no assets against which you can enforce a judgment.

What If I’ve Been Hurt in an Accident Involving an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver?

After you’ve suffered injuries in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, you can take steps to give yourself a better chance of recovering compensation for your accident losses. Things you can do following an uninsured motorist accident include:

Requesting a copy of the police accident report if officers responded to the crash scene
Following your healthcare provider’s treatment recommendations and recovery instructions for your injuries
Requesting copies of your medical records.
Keeping any bills, invoices, or receipts of expenses you incur, including for medical treatment and car repairs
Gathering copies of your pay stubs/income statements if you need to take time off work or earn less than you did before the accident because of your injuries

Finally, contact an attorney from Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, as soon as possible after the crash to get experienced legal representation for insurance claims.

What Compensation Could I Pursue in an Uninsured/Underinsured Car Accident Claim?

In an uninsured/underinsured car accident claim, you may have the right to obtain financial recovery for expenses or losses you incur due to property damage or injuries you suffered in a crash caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. Potential compensation for uninsured motorist accident victims includes:

Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
Costs of long-term care and support for prolonged or permanent disabilities caused by your injuries
Ongoing and future losses of income and job benefits if you cannot work or earn your regular wages
Pain and suffering
Loss of quality of life due to physical disabilities or visible, permanent scarring and disfigurement
Car repair expenses or reimbursement for the actual value of your vehicle if totaled in the crash

How Our Attorneys Can Help with Uninsured/Underinsured Driver Claims

The Mississippi uninsured motorist coverage attorneys at Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, can help you seek financial relief for your injuries and losses after a car crash caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. We have experience guiding clients at every step, including litigation or arbitration in uninsured motorist cases. While you focus on recovering from your injuries, let our legal team handle the details of your uninsured/underinsured motorist claim, including:

Gathering evidence for your accident claim by thoroughly investigating the crash
Identifying liable parties and evaluating your legal options for financial recovery, including available insurance coverage
Documenting your injuries and ongoing/future losses to determine the amount of compensation you may deserve to recover
Filing your insurance claims and communicating with adjusters on your behalf
Vigorously pursuing full financial recovery for you, whether through claims against the at-fault driver or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage from your insurance

What to Bring to Your Consultation with a Car Accident Attorney

At Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, we offer free initial consultations to injured car accident victims. During this initial consultation, we will listen to your story to learn more about the car accident and its consequences on your life. As we develop a picture of your case, we can advise you regarding your legal options for pursuing compensation for your injuries and losses.

But we can more effectively advise you regarding your rights and options at your consultation if you come to the meeting prepared with certain documents and information. These include the following:

A copy of the police crash report
Copies of photos or videos you took at the accident scene
A copy of any dashcam footage from your car
A copy of your auto insurance policy to review and claims you may have already filed
Copies of any correspondence with the insurance company or notes of phone calls with insurance adjusters
Contact information for any eyewitnesses to the accident
Copies of records of car repairs or repair estimates
Copies of bills, invoices, and receipts of expenses
Copies of medical records of treatment or rehabilitation you’ve received

Finally, you may have many questions about your legal rights and options and what to expect during the claims process. Take time to write down your questions so we can discuss them at your initial consultation.

Contact an Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Accident Attorney Today

Let a personal injury lawyer for uninsured motorist accidents help you seek financial relief for your losses. We’ll discuss your legal options for obtaining compensation if you’ve suffered injuries or property damage in a car crash.

Contact Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, today for a free no-obligation consultation with our firm’s knowledgeable Gulfport uninsured motorist attorneys.