Centerville, IA asked in Personal Injury for Iowa

Q: The lady who was at fault only carried the min insurance. Can I sue the insurance company for more?

I was in an auto accident back in March 2017. My back was hurt very badly. I'm still getting treatment and nothing has been helping. It is possible that I will have this pain for the rest of my life. The lady was at fault and was only insured for $20,000. I do have underinsured insurance. My medical bills are stacking up. I've been to the chiropractor, physical therapy, had xrays, an MRI, steroid injections on my lower back, injections on my upper back. Relief is not looking very promising. I'm only 32 years old and feel like I'm 90!! I honestly don't think that between the insurance that she had and my underinsured, that that is enough compensation for my medical bills, pain and suffering, plus all the pain I will have in my future and treatment I will need in the future. Is there any way to sue the insurance company for more?

Related Topics:
3 Lawyer Answers
Harley C. Erbe
Harley C. Erbe
Answered
  • Des Moines, IA
  • Licensed in Iowa

A: You'd have to make a claim through your underinsured motorist coverage. That's what the underinsured coverage is there for. The other driver's insurer isn't obligated to pay more than its coverage limits, so it appears that her insurance has been exhausted. You'll have your underinsured motorist coverage available up to your policy limits, but that'll likely be it for your monetary recovery.

Stephen Douglas Lombardi
Stephen Douglas Lombardi
Answered
  • West Des Moines, IA
  • Licensed in Iowa

A: The quick answer is "no, you sue the lady, not her insurance company". You can collect on your underinsured coverage. What were your limits for UDM coverage?

Peter N. Munsing
Peter N. Munsing
Answered

A: Underinsured is all. I assume you have an attorney.If not, to rule out any other issues like crashworthiness, contact a member of the Ill. Assn for Justice.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.