If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident in which another driver is at fault, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that the other driver does not have sufficient insurance to compensate you for your injuries. Under Virginia law you are entitled to payment for medical expenses, lost wages, pain & suffering as well as damages for change of lifestyle. However, Virginia only requires drivers to have a $25,000 bodily injury policy and in some circumstances, even allows drivers to be uninsured. If you are seriously injured, your total losses could easily exceed the financial cap of the other driver’s insurance policy. How do you protect yourself from drivers who have inadequate insurance?
The answer is to purchase uninsured/underinsured coverage from your own insurance provider. All insurance companies offer uninsured/underinsured coverage. This coverage provides compensation to individuals injured as a result of another driver’s negligence when the driver at fault does not have adequate coverage to compensate you for all of your injuries.
Beware! Uninsured/underinsured coverage can be tricky. Virginia law only requires payment from this coverage after all third party insurance that is available is exhausted. For example, if you sustain $50,000 in injuries and the responsible driver has $50,000 of insurance available and you purchased $50,000 of uninsured/underinsured coverage, you will receive nothing from your own policy. On the other hand, if you sustain $100,000 in injuries and the responsible driver only has $50,000 of insurance available and you have $100,000 of uninsured/underinsured coverage, you may be able to recover up to $50,000 from your own insurance policy. We recommend that you purchase $1 million or the most uninsured/underinsured coverage that you can afford.
Virginia Case Allows Stacking of uninsured/ underinsured coverage
In the 2009 case of Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company v. Williams, the Virginia Supreme Court held that an individual injured in a car accident may “stack” the insurance coverage available under her own automobile insurance policies. In this case, a passenger was injured when the automobile she was in collided with another vehicle. The combined insurance policy limits of the two automobiles involved in the accident was insufficient to cover her losses. The Virginia Supreme Court permitted the injured person to combine (or “stack”) the uninsured/underinsured policy limits from the three automobiles owned by her father and covered by the insurance he had purchased for those vehicles. Because the Court permitted stacking, the total benefits available to her were increased and available to compensate her for the injuries she suffered in the accident.
The case is significant because in the past Virginia courts disallowed stacking. However, it is important to note that the decision was based on contract interpretation and not public policy. Therefore, there may only be a short window of opportunity to stack uninsured/underinsured polices. The Insurance Company lawyers are certain to review the Williams case and re-write future policies to avoid the outcome of the Williams case. Nevertheless, the case demonstrates why it is so important to have adequate uninsured/underinsured coverage and a knowledgeable attorney on your side.
Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer With Experience
If you are injured in an automobile accident, it is critical that you hire an experienced law firm, such as Gross & Romanick. The Virginia insurance scheme is complex and extraordinarily difficult for an individual to navigate. Beware of lawyers who take automobile injury cases on an occasional basis but do not know how to seek the maximum insurance coverage that is available to the injured person.
The answer is to purchase uninsured/underinsured coverage from your own insurance provider. All insurance companies offer uninsured/underinsured coverage. This coverage provides compensation to individuals injured as a result of another driver’s negligence when the driver at fault does not have adequate coverage to compensate you for all of your injuries.
Beware! Uninsured/underinsured coverage can be tricky. Virginia law only requires payment from this coverage after all third party insurance that is available is exhausted. For example, if you sustain $50,000 in injuries and the responsible driver has $50,000 of insurance available and you purchased $50,000 of uninsured/underinsured coverage, you will receive nothing from your own policy. On the other hand, if you sustain $100,000 in injuries and the responsible driver only has $50,000 of insurance available and you have $100,000 of uninsured/underinsured coverage, you may be able to recover up to $50,000 from your own insurance policy. We recommend that you purchase $1 million or the most uninsured/underinsured coverage that you can afford.
Virginia Case Allows Stacking of uninsured/ underinsured coverage
In the 2009 case of Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company v. Williams, the Virginia Supreme Court held that an individual injured in a car accident may “stack” the insurance coverage available under her own automobile insurance policies. In this case, a passenger was injured when the automobile she was in collided with another vehicle. The combined insurance policy limits of the two automobiles involved in the accident was insufficient to cover her losses. The Virginia Supreme Court permitted the injured person to combine (or “stack”) the uninsured/underinsured policy limits from the three automobiles owned by her father and covered by the insurance he had purchased for those vehicles. Because the Court permitted stacking, the total benefits available to her were increased and available to compensate her for the injuries she suffered in the accident.
The case is significant because in the past Virginia courts disallowed stacking. However, it is important to note that the decision was based on contract interpretation and not public policy. Therefore, there may only be a short window of opportunity to stack uninsured/underinsured polices. The Insurance Company lawyers are certain to review the Williams case and re-write future policies to avoid the outcome of the Williams case. Nevertheless, the case demonstrates why it is so important to have adequate uninsured/underinsured coverage and a knowledgeable attorney on your side.
Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer With Experience
If you are injured in an automobile accident, it is critical that you hire an experienced law firm, such as Gross & Romanick. The Virginia insurance scheme is complex and extraordinarily difficult for an individual to navigate. Beware of lawyers who take automobile injury cases on an occasional basis but do not know how to seek the maximum insurance coverage that is available to the injured person.
