Primary Location
Seal Beach Personal Injury Lawyers
207 Main St, Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (213) 214-1592
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is part of your own car insurance policy. It pays your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when the driver who hit you has no insurance. California law requires every insurer to offer UM coverage [1]. You only skip it if you sign a written waiver.
There are two types. UM coverage kicks in when the at-fault driver carries zero insurance. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage applies when that driver's policy is too small to cover your losses. Both protect you and your passengers, even if you were a pedestrian or cyclist at the time of the crash.
Here's what catches people off guard. A UM claim is not filed against the other driver. You file it against your own insurance company. That changes everything about how the case works.
The driver who caused the crash fled the scene. You can't find them. You can't sue them. But if you carry UM coverage, your policy may still pay for your injuries. California requires physical contact with the fleeing vehicle in most UM hit-and-run claims, though policy terms vary.
Our Seal Beach office handles hit-and-run accident claims where UM coverage is the only realistic path to compensation.
About 15% of California drivers carry no insurance at all [2]. One in every six or seven cars on the road. If that driver causes your crash, a personal injury lawsuit might not help. You can sue them, but collecting on a judgment against someone with no assets and no policy is a different story.
UM coverage fills that gap. Your insurer steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver and pays what that driver would have owed, up to your policy limits.
California raised its minimum liability limits to $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident as of January 2025. But those limits are still low. A single surgery can cost more than $30,000.
UIM coverage pays the difference between what the at-fault driver's policy covers and your actual losses, up to your own policy limits. For serious injuries, this is often where the real recovery happens.
As of January 2025, California drivers must carry at least:
These new limits apply at policy renewal. Not overnight. Many drivers on the road today still carry the old $15,000/$30,000/$5,000 minimums. And again, roughly 15% carry nothing at all.
UM/UIM coverage is not required by law. But insurers must offer it [3]. If you decline, you sign a waiver. We strongly recommend carrying UM/UIM limits equal to your liability limits. It costs relatively little and protects you from the exact situation this page describes.
This is the part most people don't expect. In a regular car accident claim, you go after the other driver's insurance. In a UM/UIM claim, you go after your own.
Your own insurer becomes your opponent. They owe you money under the policy, but they also want to pay as little as possible. That creates a conflict built right into the process.
Here's how it plays out:
One thing people don't realize is that UM claims often involve the same level of investigation and legal work as a lawsuit against another driver. The difference is your own company sits across the table.
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) is separate from UM. It pays your medical bills regardless of fault, usually up to $5,000 or $10,000. No deductible. No waiting for a liability decision.
And here's what matters. MedPay does not reduce your UM benefits in California. You can collect both. MedPay covers your immediate bills while the UM claim works through the process. That combination keeps you in treatment without out-of-pocket costs in many cases.
If you carry both MedPay and UM coverage, you have two layers of protection. MedPay handles the short term. UM covers the full value of your injuries, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Most UM/UIM disputes in California go to binding arbitration, not a courtroom trial. California Insurance Code Section 11580.2 requires arbitration when you and your insurer can't agree on the value of your claim [1].
What does that look like? Each side picks an arbitrator. Those two pick a neutral third. The panel hears evidence, reviews medical records, and issues a binding decision. It's faster than a trial but still requires the same level of preparation.
We treat every UM arbitration like a trial. Medical records, expert opinions, accident reconstruction when needed. The arbitration panel expects a fully built case. Showing up unprepared leads to low awards.
Our insurance litigation team has handled hundreds of disputes where insurers refused to pay what a policy promised.
Your insurer owes you a duty of good faith and fair dealing under California law. That means they must investigate your claim promptly, communicate clearly, and make a reasonable settlement offer based on the evidence.
When they don't? That's bad faith. And it gives you a separate legal claim on top of your UM case.
Common bad faith tactics in UM claims:
Bad faith claims can result in damages beyond your policy limits, including emotional distress and punitive damages. That's a powerful tool when an insurer refuses to play fair.
You just found out the driver who hit you has no coverage. Or they fled the scene. Now what?
A free case review helps you understand your options before you make decisions that affect your recovery.
The I-405 corridor through Seal Beach carries heavy traffic between Los Angeles and Orange County. Rear-end collisions, sideswipes, and multi-car pileups are common on this stretch. Pacific Coast Highway adds another layer of risk, with pedestrians, cyclists, and turning vehicles sharing a busy two-lane road.
When an uninsured driver causes one of these crashes, the financial impact falls on the victim. Our firm recovered a $950,000 settlement for a client injured in a freeway accident with back and neck injuries. In high-traffic areas like the I-405 and PCH, the odds of being hit by an uninsured driver go up with the volume.
Seal Beach sits between Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Garden Grove, and Cypress. We serve clients across all of these communities from our office at 207 Main St. The Simon Law Group is one of only two personal injury firms with an office in Seal Beach.
$500,000 Settlement
Our attorneys secured a $500,000 settlement for a pedestrian struck by an uninsured motorist. Our client suffered a leg fracture, and we obtained full policy limits through the UM claim process.
$1.25 Million Settlement
Our legal team recovered $1.25 million for a client who was rear-ended and needed spine surgery. Lost earnings played a major factor in that recovery.
$1,264,364 Verdict
We won a $1,264,364 verdict in a spine surgery case where the other side disputed fault. The bench trial resulted in a favorable outcome despite contested liability.
Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases across California and Arizona. We know how Seal Beach insurance companies operate, and we know how to push back.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Accidents do not follow business hours. Neither do we. Call (602) 905-7766 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
Our Seal Beach team works out of 207 Main St. We know the roads, the courts, and the insurance adjusters you are up against.
“After a crash, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your options, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”
Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
Seal Beach office at 207 Main St | Licensed in California and Arizona
Yes. Health insurance covers medical bills, but it won't pay for lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage. UM coverage fills those gaps. And in California, MedPay and UM benefits don't offset each other, so you can collect both.
You can, but collecting is the problem. If the driver has no insurance, they likely have no assets either. A UM claim against your own policy is usually the faster and more reliable path to compensation.
That's exactly what UIM coverage is for. It pays the difference between the at-fault driver's policy limits and your actual losses, up to your own policy limits.
The statute of limitations for personal injury in California is two years from the date of the accident. But your policy may have shorter notice requirements. Report the claim to your insurer as soon as possible.
It shouldn't. California Insurance Code 1861.02 prohibits rate increases based on UM claims when you were not at fault. But check your specific policy terms.
We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing up front and nothing unless we recover money for you. Call (855) 374-1714 for a free case review.
Our Location
Primary Location
207 Main St, Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (213) 214-1592