Philadelphia Injury Attorneys, Gregory C. Littman and Austin R. Freundlich of Freundlich & Littman, LLC, obtain policy limits for a client who was struck by a car after exiting a SEPTA trolley outside of her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The client stepped of the trolley and was struck by a car illegally passing the trolley on the shoulder. The client was violently thrown under the trolley where she remained until rescued by EMS.
Freundlich & Littman, LLC was able to obtain the full policy limits on the driver’s policy. Additionally, since the negligent driver had the Pennsylvania State minimum policy limits, Freundlich & Littman, LLC was able to obtain Underinsured Benefits from the client’s daughter’s automobile insurance policy.
Many people do not realize that if they are injured in a car accident and the driver of the other vehicle does not have insurance or is underinsured, they may be entitled to UM (Uninsured) or UIM (Underinsured) benefits through their own or family member’s policy.
An example will illustrate how this coverage works. Assume that Driver A is seriously injured in an accident caused by the negligence of Driver B. Assume that the fair value of Driver A’s personal injury case is $500,000. Assume also that Driver B has liability coverage in the amount of $100,000. If Driver A does not have UIM coverage, he will be under-compensated by $400,000. In other words, he will only be able to recover $100,000 in a case which is worth $500,000. If Driver A has underinsured motorist coverage, that coverage is designed to provide a fund to compensate him above the defendant’s liability coverage limit.
UIM claims are made against the injured party’s own insurance company. In the most common scenario, an injured driver starts a lawsuit against the responsible party. If, during the course of that lawsuit, it is determined that the value of the injured party’s case is greater than the amount of liability coverage applicable to the negligent party, the injured party’s attorney will make a UIM claim. Most often, the third party case settles first, then the UIM case is litigated.
This is one of many settlements and awards obtained over the last year due to Freundlich & Littman’s unique approach in handling every case with unparalleled attention to detail and taking the most aggressive stance to ensure maximum recovery for their clients. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident and have a serious injury, contact the Philadelphia Injury Attorneys at Freundlich & Littman today for a free consultation at 215-545-8500 or at info@FreundlichandLittman.com.
