If you have been involved in an automobile accident, the type of insurance of the at-fault party can make a great difference. Taking into consideration the vehicle, the driver and the vehicle-owner, multiple policies may apply.
Insurance policies which may provide coverage to you for your injuries may be held by the at-fault driver of the vehicle, the owner of that vehicle (if different than the driver) and your own insurance. However, in order to see exactly which coverage(s) may be available to you, it is imperative to fully inspect the facts and circumstances surrounding each accident and the policies involved for their applicability.
Personal Policies
It’s important to review personal auto insurance policies, as well as commercial auto insurance policies. Personal policies typically insure individual people, and this type of policy is likely the type of policy you hold. The driver of a commercial vehicle may also hold a personal auto insurance policy under which you may make a claim for injuries sustained from the accident.
Commercial Policies
Commercial auto policies are generally those policies which insure a vehicle that is owned by a company, partnership or corporation. We have all seen those white trucks, vans and cars on the road. Many times in the back of our mind we associate these vehicles with a work vehicle. Yet, knowing if you have been in an accident with a vehicle under a commercial insurance policy is not always very obvious, as many company vehicles do not say “Company, Inc.” on the side of them. In turn, not all unmarked white cars are company vehicles. Other vehicles which may be insured by commercial policies include, but are neither limited to or exclusive to, semi-trucks, limousines, taxicabs and airport shuttles.
Some, not all, commercial policies have umbrella or excess insurance which may apply when the primary policy limits have been exhausted. This could potentially mean more money for innocent victims of an auto accident. However, in order to analyze the amount of coverage and excess coverage that may be available to you, you need individuals highly experienced in reading dense and convoluted insurance policies in order to locate excess coverage.
For example, Ann was hit by Bob’s Big Box Truck, a commercial vehicle. Ann was left severely injured as a result of the accident. Bob’s Big Box Truck was insured by CC’s Insurance Company and carried bodily injury coverage of $50,000.00 per person. The policy in which Bob’s Big Box Truck was insured contained an umbrella policy of $100,000.00. If Ann’s injuries, as a result of the accident, exceed $50,000.00, Ann may be able to be compensated for the remainder of her damages from the umbrella policy.
Lastly, if the at-fault party was on the job at the time of the accident, a claim against the driver’s employer may be possible. This could potentially allow coverage to an injured party under the employer’s liability insurance policy.
At Dennis Hernandez and Associates, P.A., your attorney will look at your case from every angle to ensure that you receive the most compensation for you injuries. This means we fully analyze policies, reports, and explore multiple legal theories to ensure we are seeking the most amount of coverage available to you.
Call Dennis Hernandez & Associates. We fight to get you paid!
