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Filing A Claim When The Other Driver Is Underinsured

Under Massachusetts law, every owner of a motor vehicle is required to have insurance on that vehicle. In addition, there are minimum limits of insurance coverage that must be maintained. Every automobile insurance policy must have minimum bodily injury coverage of $20,000/$40,000. This means that there is a maximum of $20,000 available per person for injuries caused by an accident and a maximum of $40,000 available for all persons combined who have been injured in the accident.

Vehicle owners can certainly elect to have more than the required minimum automobile insurance coverage. The truth of the matter is that in the majority of cases, drivers decide to have only the minimum required amount of insurance coverage. What happens if you are seriously injured due to an accident caused by a driver who has only $20,000 in bodily injury insurance coverage? If you have underinsurance benefits, you can make a claim for additional compensation for your injuries.

What Are Underinsurance Motorist Benefits?

Underinsured motorist coverage is another benefit available under your automobile insurance policy. These benefits provide coverage for compensation of injuries above that which is received under the bodily injury portion of the other driver’s automobile insurance. You are only allowed to collect up to the amount that your underinsurance coverage exceeds the other driver’s bodily injury coverage. For instance, if the other driver has bodily injury coverage of $20,000 and you have $100,000 of underinsurance coverage on your vehicle, you could potentially collect up to another $80,000 from your insurance policy ($100,000-$20,000).

By electing to have a substantial amount of underinsured motorist insurance coverage on your automobile, you can protect yourself against the possibility of being seriously injured in a car accident caused by a driver who has elected to carry minimal insurance coverage on his or her vehicle.

Schedule A Free Consultation Today

Whether you are involved in a car accident, a motorcycle crash or an accident with a pedestrian or bicyclist, attorney Ira Yellin has the experience and dedication needed to secure full and fair compensation for your injuries.

For a free consultation call our Franklin office at 508-528-8885 or contact us online.

We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency basis, so you will not pay any attorneys fee unless you recover money on your case.