Auto Accidents Lawyer

Looking for a Sacramento car accident lawyer you can count on? From his law office in Fair Oaks, California, attorney Robert L. Meissner remains dedicated to representing the rights of people harmed in automobile accidents in Sacramento and the surrounding areas, including Roseville, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills.  Contact our car accident lawyer, Robert Meissner, because you have rights that he, and no insurance adjuster, will advise you of.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 37,000 people in the U.S. lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2008.  Over two million were injured.  When people are injured or killed due to the negligence of another driver, they and their families have the right to receive compensation. Seek the counsel of the auto accident attorney in Sacramento residents have depended on for many years!

Liability Insurance

California law requires every driver to carry proof of financial responsibility in the event they are liable in an automobile accident.  The most common method used is liability insurance.  The minimum liability limits in California are 15/30/5, which means that a negligent driver is liable to accident victims in the amount of $15,000 for personal injury to one person, $30,000 total for injuries to more than one person, and $5,000 for all property damage arising out of the accident.  Obviously, these limits are very low, and a prudent driver will purchase much more liability insurance to protect his or her personal assets in the event the driver is sued for causing an accident.

Uninsured Motorists

Even given these requirements, over 20% of California drivers do not carry any insurance at all.  For a Sacramento accident victim, this means that obtaining compensation will be more difficult than settling with an insurance company, probably requiring taking the person to court.  Another option is for the victim to file a claim with his or her own insurance company, under the victim’s uninsured motorist coverage.  All insurance companies are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage as part of their policies.  However, drivers are not required to carry it, and many drivers decline this coverage, either out of ignorance of what this coverage does or out of a desire to save money on their premiums.  Given the number of uninsured drivers on the road, carrying uninsured motorist coverage with decent limits is an important element of your overall insurance coverage.

Dealing with the Insurance Company

If the person at fault has insurance, then even though your Sacramento accident lawsuit will be against that individual, it is actually the insurance company that will hire an attorney to negotiate with you or represent the tortfeasor in court, and it is the insurance company who will pay any settlement or judgment, up to its policy limits.  If you are pursuing a claim under uninsured motorist coverage, then it is your own insurance company you are dealing with.  In most cases, you will find yourself dealing with an insurance company claims adjuster and an insurance company attorney.

Insurance companies do not stay in business by paying the full value of every claim that comes their way.  It is in the company’s best interest to deny or undervalue your claim.  If you are not represented by a Sacramento accident lawyer in this process, you are left to your own negotiating skills against professionals with superior experience, resources, and bargaining power. Our Sacramento accident law firm has handled automobile accidents levels the playing field with the insurance company, which is now dealing with someone who knows the true value of the claim and is willing and able to go to court if necessary.