Recovering from accident injuries is not the only obstacle that injured victims face in the aftermath of a collision. They will also face significant medical bills for treatment that often exceed the amount of personal coverage they have or coverage levels of opposing negligent drivers. This is a major issue in Oklahoma highway accidents, and it is also why it is crucial to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on a personal auto policy.
Oklahoma liability insurance minimums
One of the first issues with Oklahoma insurance law is that the state minimum liability coverage is $25,000 with $50,000 per accident. This means that those at fault for a very serious injury crash will often have insufficient protection for those who are victims. Medical bills can easily exceed the $25,000 threshold, which means that the victim owes the remainder unless there are personal assets that an injured victim can attach in pursuing whole compensation.
Fallout for victims
This situation can leave injured accident victims in a real dilemma after the fact when hospitals and medical professionals begin pursuing the victim for medical bill payment. It can even include the filing of liens against personal property of those involved in underinsured collisions.
What an attorney can do
All Oklahoma accident attorneys advise that it is imperative to maintain a policy rider on a personal insurance plan. A typical rider will increase the protection by two-fold in some instances and can be a real advantage if you are seriously injured; it is especially important when a negligent uninsured driver with little or no assets to pursue in collection hits you. You can sometimes take legal action to prevent actual seizure of property but not always, leaving the injured victim in a serious financial predicament.