Stamford Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer

Does Connecticut Require Insurers to Offer Uninsured Coverage?

To protect you as a member of the public from operators and owners of uninsured motor vehicles, Connecticut, under Conn. Gen. Stat. 38-336(a)(1), requires each automobile liability policy to also provide uninsured motorist coverage with limits not less than the minimum liability coverage limits of $20,000/$40,000.

Unless there is written proof of a proper "step down" request for a lesser uninsured motorist coverage amount with a proper informed consent form heading of twelve-point type, an automobile liability policy must have uninsured motorist coverage that equals the bodily injury liability coverage noted on the declaration page of the policy.

When a defendant wrongdoer fails to carry compulsory motor vehicle insurance, the injured plaintiff has an uninsured motorist insurance contract claim. That claim is primarily under the coverage of the occupied "host" vehicle auto policy and secondarily under the named insured's policy. Any other policies such as an umbrella policy clearly providing uninsured motorist coverage would be "excess" insurance coverage.

What Is the Definition of an Uninsured Motor Vehicle?

An uninsured motor vehicle can be defined as one of the following:

• A land motor vehicle that has no bodily injury liability policy at the time of an accident.
• A "hit and run" vehicle where the operator or owner cannot be identified and which hits, or causes an accident that results in bodily injury.
• A motor vehicle that has a bodily injury liability policy at the time of the accident but the insuring company either denies coverage or has become insolvent

What If My Auto Insurance Company Denies My Uninsured Motorist Claim?

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 38a-336(g) (1), no insurance company may limit any uninsured motorist suit or demand for arbitration to less than three years from the date of the accident.

Where, however, the automobile liability insurance company of the" wrongdoer" tortfeasor becomes insolvent or denies coverage, no insurance company doing business in Connecticut may limit the time to bring suit against it or make a demand for arbitration under the uninsured motorist provision of an automobile policy to a period of less than one year from the date of receipt by the insured of written notice of insolvency or denial of coverage from the automobile liability insurance company.

Learn More About Filing an Uninsured Accident Claim

Feel free to contact Peter Rotatori, III of The Rotatori Law Firm at (203) 626-1446 if you have been in an automobile accident with a driver, owner, or operator who failed to have liability automobile insurance coverage in effect at the time of the motor vehicle accident.

Peter Rotatori, III can both advise you and help you recover proper monetary damages under Connecticut uninsured motorist law either by way of settlement or by way of lawsuit. The Rotatori Law Firm's office is located in Stamford and Southbury which is in New Haven County in between Litchfield and Fairfield County to better serve you. Schedule your free consultation today.

If you are in Southbury, Stamford, or any of the surrounding areas, contact our firm today!