Will a Drunk Driving Crash Be Covered By the Insurance Company?
When people are involved in motor vehicle accidents caused by intoxicated drivers, there is a natural inclination for the parties involved to wonder whether the insurance company for the negligent driver will cover all of their costs. The good news is that car insurance does typically cover drunk driving accidents even when an alleged offender has violated state law.
The minimum level of coverage required by Missouri state law is $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. The problem that can arise for many victims of drunk driving crashes is actually when these limits are too low for the amount of compensation that is being sought.
How Car Insurance Covers DUI Accidents
It is not as though people purchase DUI insurance, so it is typically the standard liability insurance that will cover a drunk driver accident. People who suffer injuries in drunk driving accidents can usually recover compensation for their injuries by filing claims with the negligent driver’s insurance company.
The insurer will only be liable up to the limits of an insurance policy, so this can propose a problem for a person who has several hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages but is dealing with an insurance policy that is not going to pay more than $75,000. In these cases, people may have to file personal injury lawsuits against the negligent drivers to try and recover additional compensation.
Some drivers in Missouri who have uninsured or underinsured driver insurance could also be able to file claims with their own insurance companies to seek the compensation that is the difference between the negligent driver’s policy limits and the actual damages. Insurance companies must cover drunk driving accident damages because drunk driving accidents are still compensable losses even though they were illegal acts that customarily allow insurance companies to deny coverage.
A driver who operates under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not intending to cause an accident, so their claim for coverage is usually going to be based on their getting into an accident, which should be covered, even if they were intoxicated. Insurance companies almost always raise insurance rates after a drunk driving arrest, and some providers may cancel policies or fail to renew them immediately after crashes.
All people who are dealing with insurance companies after drunk driving crashes will want to retain legal counsel because insurers never play fair in their handling of these cases and every single insurance company will have a goal of trying to pay people as little as possible to make them go away. Do not let an insurance company deny you the compensation you need and deserve because of some absurd technicality, as an experienced St. Louis personal injury lawyer will know how to fight to ensure you recover as much as possible.
Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with a St. Louis Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Did you recently suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a drunk driving accident in the greater St. Louis area? You will want to be sure you speak to Bruntrager & Billings, P.C. about your possible recovery options in your case.
Our firm can immediately commence an independent investigation into your crash and work to secure the evidence you will need to prove your claim in court. Call (314) 646-0066 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with our St. Louis drunk driving accident attorney.