People in Northern Mississippi might not think when they are buying their automobile insurance. In fact, they may actually be buying several different types of coverage from their insurance company.
To legally be able to drive on Mississippi’s roads, a motorist has to have a minimum amount of insurance, called liability insurance, to pay for any damages they cause to another person. However, many people buy what is called uninsured motorist coverage.
As the name implies, this coverage protects motorists from negligent drivers who might cause an accident but then not have insurance in place. If the at-fault driver has no other way to pay, the victim might be out of luck even if their injuries are extensive.
Uninsured motorist benefits come into play in the event of a hit-and-run or if the responsible driver was illegally on the road without insurance.
However, victims may also use uninsured motorist benefits if it turns out that a negligent driver has insurance that is not nearly enough to cover the victim’s losses.
After all, in Mississippi, a driver need only carry insurance to cover $25,000 per victim with a cap of $50,000 per accident. Any significant personal injury will likely exceed these caps, often in hospital bills alone.
The bottom line is that if they want a chance of getting the full compensation they deserve, many victims will have to call on their own insurance carriers to make good on the victim’s uninsured motorist coverage.
Filing a claim for uninsured motorist benefits can be difficult
The details of how uninsured motorist coverage works can be legally complicated. It is also the case that many insurance carriers might deny these sorts of claims or be unwilling to pay in full. They may come up with any number of reasons for doing so.
Someone who has been injured and who has discovered that they might need to use their uninsured motorist coverage may consider seeking professional legal help with their claim.