Personal Injury Law

PIP and UIM Coverage--Essential Even for Pedestrians

By Michael Myers

"I have full coverage." That's what we often hear. People may think they have "full coverage" but further investigation usually reveals that they only have liability and comprehensive coverage. That's good, but they need PIP and UIM coverage too.

PIP and UIM coverage not only provide benefits when you're injured in an accident in your car or someone else's vehicle. They also provide benefits if you're involved in a pedestrian versus motor vehicle accident.

A post at the KOMO site provided information about a 48 year old man who was run down at the intersection of Denny and Westlake on Friday:

Officers responded to the accident at about 7:35 p.m. Friday, said Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. There was no word on his condition.

The impact knocked one of the man's shoes off, which was still sitting in the street long after the accident.

Witnesses said the man was hit by a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Honda. The driver of the car fled the scene, heading east on Denny Way.

In this instance the 48 year old man has both PIP and UIM claims under his own policy of insurance. But because his UIM carrier steps into the shoes of the at-fault (and, here, phantom) driver, he needs competent personal injury counsel.

Full post as published by Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer on October 05, 2008 (boomark / email).