Mark Roman | January 21, 2014 | Insurance Companies
Last June, a woman from Hollywood, Florida successfully filed a lawsuit against Allstate Insurance for unpaid medical expenses. This car accident case went to trial where a jury eventually agreed to award the plaintiff $1.29 million to cover her medical bills.
The plaintiff, 56, possessed a UM/UIM policy that provided coverage in the event that she was hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver. The coverage limit in the plaintiff’s policy was $1.25 million.
The plaintiff was hit by a 19-year-old driver who ran a stop sign. The driver hit the plaintiff’s driver side door which caused her vehicle to roll over and knock her unconscious. The victim sustained two ruptured lumbar discs as well as various other neck, back and head injuries.
The at-fault driver only possessed liability coverage up to $10,000 which was not enough to cover the cost of the victim’s medical expenses (which totaled $300,000), according to the lawsuit. When an at-fault driver does not have enough coverage to compensate the victim, the at-fault driver is considered “underinsured.” Thankfully, the plaintiff possessed an underinsured motorist (UIM) policy.
The cause for legal action arose after the plaintiff’s own insurance company, Allstate Insurance, denied her coverage under her $1.25 million UIM policy. Reportedly, Allstate refused to provide their policyholder (the plaintiff) with compensation under her policy because they believed she was inflating the severity of her injuries.
After the jury deliberated, they agreed that there was sufficient evidence to support the plaintiff’s medical claims. $296,337 of the final award was compensatory damages while $1 million was punitive damages.
This case is a prime example of what insurance companies do far too often. Without reason, they denied her claim on the basis of “insufficient evidence.” When people are injured in car accidents, they deserve maximum financial compensation provided for in their insurance policy and the at-fault driver’s policy.
Contact the Clearwater Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500