St. Louis Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Terry Crouppen who has more than 40 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney. Our last modified date shows when this page was last reviewed.
- Last Modified:
- March 28, 2024
Driving without insurance is illegal in Missouri, but not all motorists follow the law. If you’re in an accident with an uninsured driver in St. Louis, it can cause another headache during an already stressful time. Our St. Louis uninsured driver attorneys have the experience and resources you’ll need to fight for maximum payouts through insurance claims and civil lawsuits. We’ve won over $1 billion for our clients; now we’re ready to fight for you.
- St. Louis Uninsured Driver Lawyer
- How Brown & Crouppen Can Help After a Crash With an Uninsured Driver in St. Louis, MO
- Our Noteworthy Wins in Uninsured Motorist Accident Claims
- How Many Drivers in Missouri Are Uninsured?
- What Should I Do If I’m In a Car Accident With an Uninsured Motorist?
- How Do I Recover Compensation If the Other Driver is Uninsured?
- What’s the Uninsured Driver Promise?
- Call Our Experienced St. Louis Uninsured Driver Lawyers For Help Today
St. Louis Uninsured Driver Lawyer
Did you recently get into a car accident in St. Louis, Missouri, with another driver who didn’t have insurance? Call Brown & Crouppen. Just because the other driver is uninsured doesn’t mean you lose the right to recover compensation for your medical bills, loss of income, and other damages you’ve suffered in the crash. Our St. Louis uninsured driver lawyers can help you understand your legal options and fight for the compensation you deserve.
For more than four decades, car accident victims in our community have turned to Brown & Crouppen for help after devastating wrecks. We offer compassionate, effective legal representation and help our clients achieve top results. Our award-winning legal team of Missouri litigators has won over $1 billion in settlements and jury awards for our clients.
Don’t give up after an accident with an uninsured driver. Put our top-rated team in your corner. Call (314) 501-9394 or fill out our online contact form to set up a free case evaluation at our St. Louis law firm today.
How Brown & Crouppen Can Help After a Crash With an Uninsured Driver in St. Louis, MO
The driver who hit you doesn’t have insurance. Missouri is an at-fault insurance state, meaning you must seek compensation from the driver who caused the accident. So now what? How can you get the money you need to recover and get back on your feet? Can you sue? Are you entitled to insurance benefits? How can you know for sure that a settlement offer is fair?
Accidents with uninsured drivers can be incredibly stressful, and you’re bound to have a ton of questions about your rights and future. Trust our St. Louis car accident lawyers to help you navigate this difficult time.
After a crash with an uninsured driver, count on our full-service personal injury law firm in St. Louis to do the following:
- Carefully investigate the accident to determine the underlying cause and understand why it happened
- Identify all potentially liable parties
- Notify your insurance company that you intend to submit a claim for Uninsured Motorist benefits
- Prepare and file a demand letter with your insurer to max out the benefits available under your policy
- Confirm that your insurance company will honor its uninsured driver promise, if applicable
- File a lawsuit against the uninsured driver and any other liable third parties
Our legal team will help you exhaust all your legal options and fight to get you all the compensation you need and deserve after your car accident in St. Louis. We work on contingency, so there’s no cost to hire our uninsured motorist accident attorneys in Missouri unless we win your case.
Our Noteworthy Wins in Uninsured Motorist Accident Claims
At Brown & Crouppen, our results speak for themselves. Our St. Louis uninsured motorist accident lawyers have the experience and track record of success you need to feel confident throughout your legal journey. Here are just a few of the noteworthy settlements we’ve secured for our clients who were injured in accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers:
- $375,000 for a client who suffered leg fractures and other serious injuries in a motorcycle accident——plus an additional $75,000 in underinsured motorist benefits.
- $125,000 for a client who suffered a thumb fracture and back strain after a collision with an underinsured driver who was found at fault for improper lane usage—$100,000 came from the client’s uninsured motorist coverage.
- $100,000 for a client who sustained significant bruising and a neck injury when an uninsured driver ran a red light and collided with her car.
- $100,000 for a client who suffered neck injuries and airbag-related bruising after a collision with an underinsured motorist—$75,000 came from the client’s uninsured motorist coverage.
- $100,000 for a client who sustained a severe concussion and significant wage loss after a collision with an underinsured driver—$50,000 came from the client’s uninsured motorist coverage.
How Many Drivers in Missouri Are Uninsured?
Although every state has strict car insurance coverage requirements, many drivers don’t have coverage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, about 12.6 percent of all drivers nationwide don’t have car insurance, approximately one in eight drivers.
Missouri’s rate is even higher than the national average, with about 16.4 percent of drivers lacking necessary coverage. Based on this data, about 701,000 drivers in Missouri don’t have car insurance. Missouri ranks twelfth in the nation for uninsured motorists, meaning that there is a higher risk of getting into an accident with an uninsured driver in Missouri compared to other states.
What does all of this mean for you? It means that if you get into an accident in St. Louis, there’s a one-in-six chance that the other driver won’t have insurance. This can leave you in a tough spot, but a St. Louis uninsured motorist accident attorney can improve your chances of recovering compensation for your injuries.
Uninsured Motorist Benefits in Missouri
When you buy car insurance in Missouri, you must add Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) to your policy. Minimum UM coverage requirements under Missouri law include the following:
- $25,000 in bodily injury per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury per accident
What is Uninsured Motorist coverage? Think of it as a safety net. It essentially steps into the place of the insurance benefits that should have been available to you if the at-fault driver had coverage. When you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance, your UM coverage can offset the costs and expenses related to your crash.
Specifically, Uninsured Motorist coverage will compensate for medical bills, lost wages, and other things like pain and suffering. You can recover compensation up to your Uninsured Motorist policy limits. So, if you purchased the state minimum, your damages will be capped at $25,000 or $50,000 if multiple parties were injured.
If you have car insurance in Missouri, chances are you also have this minimum coverage. However, these modest policy limits may not cover all of your damages if you suffer severe injuries. Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers can help you explore all sources of compensation.
Damages in a Third-Party Claim or Lawsuit
What happens if your damages exceed your UM policy limits? The good news is that you may have additional paths to recover compensation. If your Uninsured Motorist coverage doesn’t adequately cover your losses, your options could include:
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver to hold them directly responsible for your damages.
- Pursuing damages from another liable party through an insurance claim or lawsuit.
- Adding or “stacking” additional policies that may apply to your claim.
Remember that it might be tough to sue the uninsured driver and secure a monetary award. If they didn’t have insurance, there is a good chance they might not have the resources to fulfill a court order to pay you damages.
This is when it can help to carefully examine the crash and search for other potentially liable parties. Under Missouri state law, anyone who contributes to a motor vehicle accident can be liable for resulting damages. This could include another motorist, a vehicle manufacturer, a government agency, an employer, or even a property owner.
For instance, if someone like a distracted driver contributed to your head-on collision with an uninsured driver, even slightly, you can seek to hold them financially responsible for a portion of your damages. Their insurance policy may have sufficient coverage to compensate you for your losses.
Similarly, if the uninsured driver was on the job at the time of the accident, their employer may be liable for your damages. Examples include if they were driving a company vehicle, making deliveries, or traveling for work purposes.
Brown & Crouppen will help you understand all the legal options available after an accident with an uninsured driver in Missouri. Contact our uninsured motorist accident lawyers in St. Louis today to discuss the specific details of your case.
What Should I Do If I’m In a Car Accident With an Uninsured Motorist?
Treat your accident with an uninsured driver just like any other collision.
Stay at or near the scene and call 911 or the local police in St. Louis to report the collision. While waiting for the police to arrive, exchange personal and insurance information with other parties.
If another motorist refuses to give you their insurance information, or if they’ve fled the scene in a hit-and-run, relay this information to the police when they arrive. In the meantime, take down information about the driver’s car, including the make, model, and license plate number. This information can be particularly helpful in a hit-and-run scenario.
Document the accident scene by taking pictures and recording a video of the damaged property, debris, and tire tracks.
If you’re not brought to the closest hospital in St. Lois by ambulance, get to the emergency room as soon as you can after the wreck. You’ll want to ensure a formal record of your injuries to establish a causal link between the collision and your damages down the line.
Notify your insurance company that you’ve been in an accident with an uninsured driver. Many companies require prompt notice of a wreck to preserve the right to collect benefits.
Finally, don’t get into detailed conversations with the insurance company. Direct all communication to your car accident attorney in St. Louis.
How Do I Recover Compensation If the Other Driver is Uninsured?
Missouri has fault-based insurance rules. So, what happens when the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance? How do you recover benefits under the at-fault system?
Fortunately, you’ll have a couple of options. The first involves seeking benefits through your insurance company. The second involves seeking damages directly from the at-fault motorist and other liable parties.
Uninsured Motorist Benefits in Missouri
When you buy car insurance in Missouri, you must add Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) to your policy.
Minimum UM coverage requirements include the following:
- $25,000 in bodily injury per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury per accident
What is Uninsured Motorist coverage? Think of it as a safety net. It essentially steps into the place of the insurance benefits that should have been available to you if the at-fault driver had coverage. When you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance, your UM coverage can offset the costs and expenses related to your crash.
Specifically, Uninsured Motorist coverage will compensate for medical bills, lost wages, and other things like pain and suffering.
You can recover compensation up to your Uninsured Motorist policy limits. So, if you purchased the state minimum, your damages will be capped at $25,000, or $50,000 if multiple parties were injured.
Damages in a Third-Party Claim or Lawsuit
What happens if your damages exceed your UM policy limits? The good news is that you may have additional paths to recover compensation.
You may be able to do the following:
- File a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver to hold them personally responsible for your damages
- Pursue damages from another liable party through an insurance claim or lawsuit
Remember that it might be tough to sue the uninsured driver and secure a monetary award. If they didn’t have insurance, there is a good chance they might not have the resources to fulfill a court order to pay you damages.
This is when it can help to carefully examine the crash and search for other potentially liable parties. Under Missouri state law, anyone who contributes to a motor vehicle accident can be liable for resulting damages. This could include another motorist, a vehicle manufacturer, a government agency, an employer, or even a property owner.
For instance, if someone like a distracted driver contributed to your head-on collision with an uninsured driver, even slightly, you can seek to hold them financially responsible for a portion of your damages.
Brown & Crouppen will help you understand all the legal options available after an accident with an uninsured driver in Missouri. Call our uninsured driver attorneys in St. Louis to discuss the specific details of your case today.
What’s the Uninsured Driver Promise?
Most insurance companies offer incentives to encourage you to drive safely and limit claims. This includes “no claims” discounts, which lower your premiums for every year you drive accident-free.
The uninsured driver promise ensures that your “no claim” discount remains in effect even if you submit a claim for Uninsured Motorist benefits. After all, the accident wasn’t your fault. You’re only submitting a claim because the at-fault driver didn’t have insurance.
Not all companies offer the no-claim discount, so the uninsured driver promise might not apply to every policy. Be sure to check with your insurance provider to see how your claim might be affected by a claim for UM benefits.
Our uninsured driver attorneys in St. Louis can help you deal with the insurance company and work to prevent any increases to your policy limits after an accident.
Call Our Experienced St. Louis Uninsured Driver Lawyers For Help Today
Getting into an accident with an uninsured driver in St. Louis can be a nightmare. Let Brown & Crouppen help you navigate this stressful situation and fight for the financial recovery you deserve.
Our St. Louis insurance dispute lawyers have decades of experience and a top-notch reputation that can help to set your claim apart.
We’ve won over $1 billion from insurance companies, powerful corporations, hospitals, and other tough adversaries for our clients.
Put our experience to work for you. Call our St. Louis, MO, law office by calling (314) 501-9394 or filling out our online contact form to set up a free case evaluation today.
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