Maryland Motor Vehicle Accidents With Uninsured Motorists: Are You Covered?

By Jeffrey Butschky, Maryland Accident Injury Attorney

It’s mind boggling how many people are driving around Maryland without auto insurance. After nearly three decades serving as Baltimore County accident lawyers, we’ve heard all the stories. “My car insurance bill was due on the 30th and I forgot to pay it…and the accident happened on the 31st.” That’s typical.

Clients often turn to us for help when they’ve been injured in a Maryland auto accident by a driver who is uninsured or underinsured. If your own motor vehicle insurance is up to date, you DO have some coverage. Maryland state law requires that you have minimum uninsured motorist coverage on your auto insurance policy — what we call UM coverage.

The Maryland Insurance Administration describes uninsured motorist coverage as follows:

“Uninsured motorist coverage will protect you if someone driving without insurance causes damage to your property or injures you or your passenger(s). Coverage also applies when an auto damages your vehicle or injures you and leaves the scene of the accident without being identified. This insurance covers repairs to your property, as well as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.” [Source: A Consumer Guide to Auto Insurance, Maryland Insurance Administration]

So if you’re hit by an uninsured driver in Maryland, your own insurance company will step in and pay you whatever you’re carrying, so long as you have damages to that extent. In other words, your own insurance will take the place of insurance for the at-fault driver. But minimum coverage is exactly that. If you get hit by a tractor-trailer driver with no insurance and die as a result of your injuries, your insurance company will present your spouse with a check for $30,000 — under Maryland minimum uninsured motorist coverage. That’s not very much money.

It’s important to really look at your Maryland auto insurance policy and understand your coverage. Even better, ask an experienced motor vehicle accident injury attorney to look at your policy for you. We do this at no charge for folks all the time.

Please contact us for a complimentary review of your auto insurance policy to make sure you have good coverage, including Maryland uninsured motorist coverage. Call the Law Offices of Butschky & Butschky, LLC toll free at (800) 722-6616.

When any motor vehicle accident with injury occurs, seek immediate medical attention. If you’re in an auto accident with an uninsured driver — notify law enforcement and your own insurance company right away. Assuming you have collision, they will pay to have your vehicle repaired. One more thing you should know…

A Little-Known Fact About Maryland Uninsured Motorist Coverage: By law, your insurance company must lower your deductible to $250 if you’re hit by an uninsured driver. So even if your deductible were $5,000, the insurance company is obliged to lower it to $250 in these types of accident cases. Sometimes the insurance companies overlook this obligation, and the consumer is none the wiser.

That’s just one reason why it’s best to consult an experienced Maryland auto accident attorney if you’re involved in a vehicle crash with an uninsured motorist. It’s hard enough for a lay person to get through to someone who can help them at a big insurance company. Once you get entangled in complex insurance and legal issues, things can get very overwhelming. That usually results in a less than optimal outcome for the accident victim.

Our law firm has decades of experience communicating with insurance companies and advocating for our clients’ best interests. We’re not magicians, but we’ve been doing this for a long time. We know how to make insurance claims move forward, to get the best possible outcome for accident injury victims.

Please call us today if we can assist you. We serve clients in Baltimore County, Maryland, as well as Carroll County, Cecile County and Harford County. Contact our offices in Sparks, MD, at (410) 472-3651; in Baltimore City at (410) 625-1110; or call us toll free at (800) 722-6616. We look forward to speaking with you.