Uninsured Driver Accident Lawyer St. Louis, MO. Being in a car accident in St. Louis, MO is an experience nobody wants to go through, but when you have full coverage and the other driver in your accident was uninsured, dealing with the aftermath of a car accident gets even tougher. Accidents involving uninsured motorists usually mean that the insured driver has to shoulder a larger-than-usual financial burden.
At Combs Waterkotte, we believe that you should not have to carry that weight alone, and that you deserve compensation for being in an accident through no fault of your own. Our firm has helped many people from all around St. Louis and throughout Missouri with their car insurance claims and is ready to help you after you have been in a uninsured driver accident in St. Louis, MO. Call us today at (314) 900-HELP for a free, no-risk case review.
How Uninsured Motorist Claims Work In Missouri
Drivers in Missouri are required by law to carry a certain minimum amount of auto insurance. This minimum is known as “25/50/25”: it means that insurance must pay out a minimum $25,000 and maximum $50,000 for bodily injury, and maximum $25,000 property damage (i.e. auto damage) liabilty coverage, as a result of an accident. While most people in Missouri have this or higher coverage, many do not. A study from the Insurance Information Institute estimated that 16.4 percent of Missouri drivers in 2019 were uninsured.
Recognizing this, Missouri lawmakers have moved to toughen penalties for drivers without auto insurance. MO Revised Statutes 303.390, also known as the “no pay, no play” law, was passed in 2013. It bars a driver who did not have insurance at the time of an accident from recovering any damages, apart from lost wages, even if the other driver was entirely at fault.
When someone is in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, they have two different options to recover damages:
- File a personal lawsuit against the other driver
- File what is called a first-party claim with your own insurance company against your uninsured motorist coverage
Missouri requires all insured drivers to carry additional coverage in the event that they are ever in an accident with an uninsured driver. State law mandates a minimum of $25,000 of uninsured motorist coverage in every policy. Claims for uninsured motorist accidents are processed in the same way as if you were filing a claim with another person’s insurance company. However, this also means that insurance companies can–and often do–deny or delay claims, and may not pay out what you believe you deserve for your pain and suffering. A personal lawsuit may be a better option in some cases, such as if your insurance company decides to play hardball with your claim or the other driver has a substantial level of personal wealth or assets.
Talk To A Personal Injury Lawyer In St. Louis, MO
If you have recently been in a car accident involving an uninsured or underinsured driver in St. Louis, MO, make Combs Waterkotte your first call after you’ve talked to the police and your own insurance. Our firm is experienced at helping people in St. Louis and throughout Missouri from all walks of life with their personal injury claims and knows that every personal injury case is unique. We specialize in building bespoke legal strategies that take into account all the facets of your case. If you are unsure of the best way to proceed in your case, or if you have any further questions about your personal injury case, our attorneys are available to take your call at any time, day or night.
Our firm understands that being in an uninsured driver accident is stressful enough, and that the process of getting your rightful compensation shouldn’t be. Contact us today for a free consultation. At Combs Waterkotte, we don’t charge a fee unless you win your case, meaning that you can put the legal might of one of the top uninsured driver accident law firms in St. Louis, MO on your side without worrying about the cost to you.
