Now a Word from Gary Bell

By Gary Bell of Bell & Pollock Injury Attorneys

A person injured in a car crash can seek compensation from the other driver’s liability insurance company. Almost all states require every registered vehicle or licensed driver have some vehicle liability insurance. When considering the cost of medical care the minimum amount of coverage legally required in Colorado is quite low at $25,000.00 per crash victim, $50,000.00 total for all injured people per crash.

If the other driver or owner has no insurance, or has insufficient coverage to pay you fully for your injuries, you may be able to get additional compensation through the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage of your own policy. Your own policy may also provide medical payments coverage for immediate payment of some medical bills.

The following are brief descriptions of more types of coverage that an insurance carrier may offer. Coverage may vary slightly among insurance companies, so check your own policy to determine the exact rules of coverage and claims.

Liability. If you are at all legally responsible or, liable for a crash, liability coverage compensates victims for their injuries and damage to their property.

Uninsured Motorist. This coverage provides compensation from your own insurance company if you or the occupants of your vehicle are injured in a crash and the at fault party does not have liability coverage.

Underinsured Motorist. If you are injured in a crash with someone who has liability insurance insufficient to cover the full amount of your damages, your own underinsured motorist coverage may make up the difference.

Medical Payments. This coverage in your own insurance policy may pay your medical bills, or those of any occupant of your car, regardless of who was at fault in a crash.

Collision. Your insurance company pays for damage to your own vehicle minus your deductible regardless of fault. If involved in a car crash, it is usually the at fault party’s insurance carrier that pays for the property damage provided the at fault party has collision coverage.

It is imperative to review your policy to determine the coverages contained in your policy. After you are in a car crash is a terrible time to find out you don’t have the appropriate insurance coverage.

If you have questions about these issues, or if you’ve been injured by a drunk driver or a driver under the influence, simply contact the skilled motor vehicle accident lawyers at Bell & Pollock, P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation to find out more about how we can help you. We are here to help you get justice, and we know how to devise the right Legal Game Plans™ to get victims full, fair compensation so they can recover and move on with their lives.™

To Learn Even More . . .

visit our website to listen to the show on this subject and all of our other radio shows on various legal topics.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in today’s newsletter, or questions on other legal issues, give our office a call and one of our attorneys would be happy to talk with you.

More Information

Get more information about your rights and options following an accident by checking out one of our helpful books:

• Don’t Get Hurt Twice in the Same Accident – This enlightening guide dispels some of the most common (and harmful) myths about car crashes, insurance companies, attorneys, and financial recoveries.
• The Essential Guide to Car Insurance in Colorado – This guide helps all drivers better understand car insurance. If you’ve ever had a question about a claim, dispute or car insurance in general, this is a must-read.
• Cowards of the Street: Hit & Run – This book uncovers the facts about hit and runs and how to financially recover from these crashes. It also shares about what you can do to protect yourself before and after a hit and run accident occurs.
• Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation: The Ultimate Guide – This insightful book reveals everything you need to know in order to protect your rights as a worker – and to position a Colorado workers’ compensation claim for success.
• Legal Game Plan – This educational book helps you better understand insurance company’s hidden game plan…and come up with one on your own!
• Motorcycle Accidents (or How to Go Full Throttle Against the Insurance Companies) – This informative read will help motorcyclists come up with a plan of action to combat the insurance agencies. If you ride a motorcycle, you need this book.
• 18 Mistakes You Could Make to Destroy Your Injury Claim – Found within is a precise guide regarding a trove of detailed mistakes one should avoid when pursuing a successful resolution to ones case. This work helps answer questions and details advice to protect oneself from common pitfalls and perils associated with a compensation claim.
• Distracted Driving and Your Injury Claim – This comprehensive work assists all drivers in understanding the dangers of distracted driving and its relationship to your injury claim.
• Premises Liability (Landowner Responsibility and Injury Recovery) – This definite piece renders the details behind the history of the Premises Liability Law in Colorado and highlights examples of responsibility which further offers a practical guide for injured victims.

Call our office to request copies of our books. You can also request a copy of any (or all) of these books on our website. And be sure to tune in to our weekly radio show to learn more about a variety of legal topics.