A severe auto accident can leave you with significant damages. You will need to pay for medical expenses, replace lost wages and cover costs associated with your care in the future.
You need to pursue a claim against those at fault in the accident to maximize any potential recovery.
Insurance Coverage
In Illinois, the law requires drivers to carry liability coverage in addition to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. The minimum coverage for bodily injury allowed is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. If you suffer a catastrophic injury, a minimum coverage policy will not compensate you adequately for your damages. You can make a claim against your policy to supplement these amounts under your underinsured coverage or an umbrella policy if you have one. It would be best if you considered obtaining insurance coverage that will adequately cover your damages or someone else’s in the event of a serious collision.
Personal Liability
If the insurance payout does not fully compensate you, you can pursue legal action against those involved in the accident. You can try to collect from other assets that an at-fault driver owns in addition to the insurance proceeds. In an accident, you need to determine all possible at-fault parties so that you can recover against as many persons as possible. If a driver involved was working at the time, you could have a claim against the person’s employer.
Minimum insurance requirements do not pay out enough to cover costs associated with significant injuries. You can protect yourself by increasing your coverage.