An uninsured motorist claim (UM) is presented when a victim is injured in a car accident involving a negligent driver who was uninsured.  It may sound simple, but often times the injury victim is uncertain whether he/she can "stack" uninsured motorist coverage for the claim.  Stacking comes into play when the victim has multiple insurance policies or multiple vehicles that have UM coverage of their own.  A similar question arises in underinsured motorist claims (UIM), in which the negligent driver did in fact have insurance, but not enough to cover the serious injuries sustained by the victim.  Claimants often wonder if they can stack UIM coverages in situations where their injuries are so severe that damages are well in excess of all recovery obtained thus far in the injury claim.  The car accident insurance claims process can be daunting.

The Missouri Supreme Court recently faced oral arguments in the case of Steve Ritchie and Anita Ritchie v. Allied Property & Casualty Insurance Company.  The plaintiff's argued that they should be permitted to stack the UIM coverages available on several policies based upon the allegation that the policies contained ambiguous language.  The Missouri Supreme Court agreed with the plaintiffs, citing that the purpose of underinsured coverage is to compensate the victim of an underinsured motorist's negligence where the third party's liability limits are not adequate to fully compensate the victim for his/her injuries. 

Our Missouri car accident lawyers often find additional coverages available to the victim following a thorough investigation of the claim.  Don't pass out on what you are legally entitled to.  Contact a car accident lawyer or truck accident injury lawyer at Schultz Legal Group by calling (866) 840-3636 or (314) 448-0934 for an immediate consultation.  Don't be victimized twice.