Posted in Car Accident
Wisconsin roads carry a meaningful percentage of uninsured drivers, and a Glendale car accident victim who is struck by one of them faces a difficult reality: the at-fault driver’s insurance may not exist or may not cover the full extent of the harm done. Uninsured motorist coverage is the protection that addresses this gap, and understanding how it works under Wisconsin law helps drivers know what their own policy provides.
What Uninsured Motorist Coverage Does in Wisconsin
Uninsured motorist coverage, commonly called UM coverage, is a component of your own auto insurance policy that provides compensation for your injuries and losses when the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient insurance to cover what you are owed. Wisconsin requires all auto insurers to offer UM coverage, and drivers must affirmatively decline it in writing to go without it. UM coverage steps in where the at-fault driver’s policy cannot, covering medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages that would otherwise go uncompensated.
Underinsured motorist coverage, or UIM, applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but their policy limits are too low to cover the full extent of the injured person’s damages. A driver with only minimum-liability coverage who causes a serious accident in Glendale may have far less coverage available than the injured person actually needs.
How UM and UIM Claims Work in Wisconsin
A UM or UIM claim is made against your own insurance policy rather than the at-fault driver’s insurer. This means your own insurer is evaluating the claim, and it is important to understand that your insurer’s interests in that evaluation are still adverse to yours. Insurers handling UM and UIM claims apply the same scrutiny they would to any third-party claim, looking for opportunities to minimize the payout or dispute the extent of the injuries or the liability of the uninsured driver.
A Glendale car accident lawyer handles UM and UIM claims as part of the overall injury case, managing all communications with the insurer and building the evidentiary record that supports the full value of the claim.
What a UM Claim Requires in Wisconsin
To successfully pursue a UM claim in Wisconsin, the injured person must typically establish several things:
- That the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured at the time of the crash
- That the at-fault driver’s negligence caused the accident and the resulting injuries
- The nature and extent of the injuries and the losses they produced
- The value of those losses relative to any amounts already recovered from the at-fault driver or their insurer
Wisconsin UM coverage can also apply in hit-and-run cases where the at-fault driver cannot be identified, subject to specific requirements for reporting and documenting the accident.
Why Wisconsin Drivers in Glendale Should Review Their UM Coverage
Many drivers are unaware of how much UM and UIM coverage they carry or whether it is adequate relative to the medical costs a serious accident would generate. Reviewing coverage limits annually and ensuring they are sufficient to cover a realistic worst-case scenario is one of the most practical steps a Glendale driver can take to protect themselves.
Hickey & Turim, S.C. is a Wisconsin personal injury firm representing car accident victims in Glendale and throughout the greater Milwaukee area, including cases where UM and UIM claims are the primary avenue for recovery.
Protecting Your Recovery Through UM Coverage After a Glendale Car Accident
If you were injured in a car accident in Glendale by an uninsured or underinsured driver, speaking with a Glendale car accident lawyer about how your UM coverage applies and what the claim process involves is the most direct path toward the compensation you are owed.
