Lawyers advise motorists to guard against uninsured drivers

With one out of every four drivers on California roads uninsured, personal injury lawyers are advising people not to skimp on coverage even during tough times.

Attorney Brian Morgan said people come into his Apple Valley and Barstow offices asking for help to recoup losses suffered in car accidents caused by uninsured drivers. But he said there’s not much attorneys can do unless their clients have adequate uninsured motorist protection.

Uninsured motorist protection compensates for a loss sustained in a car accident caused by a driver who is uninsured or inadequately insured.

California mandates insurance companies to include uninsured motorist protection in every policy, but the requirement is only $30,000 per person and $60,000 aggregate. And the amount is reduced if drivers purchase liability policies of less than $30,000/$60,000.

“That’s very low, and If you get into an accident, you have nowhere to turn,” said Reuben Donig, an attorney specializing in personal injury claims in the Bay Area. “You better hope that other people have an adequate amount of insurance.”

But that’s not always the case because uninsured or inadequately insured drivers cause nearly a half of car accidents, Donig said.

He added that the public doesn’t know how extensive uninsured motorist coverage is. It compensates medical expenses, lost income or earnings, diminution in their ability to earn money in the future or assorted out-of-pocket expenses, he said.

For more about uninsured motorist coverage, read the full story in Tuesday's Daily Press. Get complete stories every day with the "exactly as printed" Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Tomoya Shimura may be reached at (760) 955-5368 or TShimura@VVDailyPress.com. Follow Tomoya on Facebook at facebook.com/ShimuraTomoya.