Bicyclists are vulnerable to suffering severe injuries in an accident with a motor vehicle. A rider might wear a helmet and maybe some gloves, but that’s about all of the protection that they have in the event of a crash. Couple that with Arizona’s low $15,000 per person and $30,000 minimum auto liability insurance requirement, and in a bad accident requiring surgery to piece together a crushed tibia along with physical therapy and rehab, $15,000 of coverage from the person who caused the accident is wholly insufficient. Then, what if the person who caused the crash drives away?
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance
We’ve faced these issues in the past, and that’s why we always inquire as to whether our client has uninsured motorist insurance (UIM). With uninsured motorist insurance comes underinsured motorist insurance (UIM), and one of those coverages might be of great help in getting you back on your financial feet.
How it Works
You’ll want to check your policy, but general UM and UIM insurance covers you and any resident of your household who is a blood relative in the event that one of you is involved in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. Most UM and UIM provisions cover the named and additional insured people as bicyclists, pedestrians or even skateboarders. These coverages aren’t automatic though. Here in Arizona, they’re optional. You’re not required to purchase UM and UIM, but they’re inexpensive, and it’s wise to have them, especially when more than 13 percent of the drivers in Arizona have no insurance at all. It’s probably safe to say that at least another 13 percent of Arizona drivers are riding on minimum liability limits, so you’ll want as much UM and UIM coverage as you can afford.
Tobler Law provides trusted attorney client services in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. We focus our practice exclusively on personal injury. Our team of dedicated, experienced and effective personal injury professionals wants to maximize any proceeds that you might derive from a settlement or verdict in your personal injury case.
If you or somebody in your family has been injured in a bicycle accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, contact us by phone or email right away to arrange for a free consultation and case review. If we enter into a retainer agreement with you, no legal fees are even due unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Contact us right away after being injured in any accident.