Portland UM/UIM Coverage Disputes Lawyer
You are a responsible driver who has purchased auto insurance. Of course, taking out insurance is not just a sensible act, it is a legal requirement for all drivers in Oregon. But as we all know, not everyone follows the law, with recent studies showing that as much as 10% of all Oregon drivers are uninsured.
If you are involved in an accident with a driver who lacks insurance–or whose policy limits are not enough to fully compensate you for your injuries–you may then look to your own car insurance policy’s uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage. At this point, however, your insurance company suddenly places itself in an adversarial role. You are no longer their customer. You are now a claimant. And the insurer often sees its role as doing everything in its power to frustrate or deny that claim.
In this situation, your best ally is a qualified Portland UM/UIM lawyer. Rosenbaum Law Group, PC, is widely recognized as a leading expert in the area of UM/UIM claims and coverage denials. Our team of experienced Oregon car accident attorneys know all of the insurance company’s stalling and denial tactics. We are here to represent you and your interests only, and we will take every legal measure to ensure your insurance company meets its legal obligations to you as a policyholder.
Why Oregon UM/UIM Carriers Try and Deny Claims
There are several reasons an insurance company may give for denying a UM/UIM claim. Some of the more common ones include:
- failure to pay policy premiums on time;
- failure to notify the insurer of the accident in a timely manner;
- your policy excludes the specific type of loss you are claiming or your multiple policies do not stack on top of one another;
- the at-fault driver has adequate insurance to cover your losses; and
- there is insufficient proof to support your claimed losses.
If your UM/UIM carrier does deny your claim, in part or in full, an attorney can represent you in ongoing negotiations. Indeed, most of our UM/UIM disputes do not end up in court. Insurance companies know that our attorneys are experts in the field. The insurers are often willing to negotiate a more favorable settlement when they know the policyholder is represented by counsel.
An attorney can also advise you when certain legal issues come up in the course of addressing a UM/UIM claim. For example, many policyholders seek to “stack” their UM/UIM coverage across multiple policies or vehicles. Some insurance companies seek to bar this practice in their policies. Rosenbaum Law Group was the first law firm in Oregon to successfully prevail on a stacking case following a beneficial change to Oregon law in 2016. While the Oregon Supreme Court has since held such bans are contrary to current state insurance law in certain situations, the question remains whether such anti-stacking exclusions are valid in other settings. The attorneys at Rosenbaum Law Group continue to push the envelope of what is covered under UM/UIM policies and fight for Oregonians.
Contact Rosenbaum Law Group Today
If your insurer is putting up a fight with respect to your car accident claim, you should not hesitate to speak with a skilled Portland UM/UIM coverage disputes lawyer. Contact Rosenbaum Law Group, PC, today to schedule a free initial consultation with a member of our team.
