When the driver who hit you had no insurance, or nowhere near enough to cover your losses, your own auto policy often becomes the source of payment. Abels & Annes, P.C. pursues these claims across Illinois under the coverage you already pay for.
An uninsured/underinsured motorist accident lawyer from our firm takes on the part most people dread: pushing your own insurer to honor a policy it would rather underpay. Our attorneys press the claim while you recover from the crash.
The stakes are real. A serious injury can pile up costs long after an uninsured driver vanishes, and your own policy may be the only pocket deep enough to reach. Call our Chicago office at (312) 924-7575 or reach out online for a free case review, day or night.
Table of contents
- Does Our Firm Handle Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Claims?
- What Is The Difference Between Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
- Who Pays When The At-Fault Driver Has No Insurance?
- How Do Our Lawyers Handle An Uninsured Motorist Claim?
- How Does Arbitration Work In An Illinois Uninsured Motorist Case?
- What Losses Can An Uninsured Motorist Claim Cover?
- Why Do Insurers Push Back On These Claims?
- Why Does Acting Quickly Protect Your Claim?
- Why Drivers Across Illinois Choose Abels & Annes, P.C.
- Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Uninsured Motorist Claims
- Talk To Our Illinois Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Lawyers Today
Does Our Firm Handle Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Claims?
Yes. Abels & Annes, P.C. handles these claims for drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians hurt by motorists who carried no coverage or too little. These claims run through your own policy, not the other driver's, which is why understanding how uninsured motorist coverage works for motorcyclists can be especially important for riders injured by uninsured or underinsured drivers.
Many people assume a crash with an uninsured driver leaves them with nothing. In reality, the uninsured and underinsured portions of an Illinois auto policy exist for exactly this moment. Our lawyers find every policy that might apply, including coverage you may not realize you carry, before determining whether suing an uninsured driver is also an available option under the circumstances.
Our attorneys pursue these claims after many types of crashes, including the following situations:
- Hit-and-run collisions where the at-fault driver fled the scene
- Crashes caused by a driver whose policy had lapsed or expired
- Wrecks involving a stolen vehicle with no valid insurance
- Multi-vehicle pileups where one driver's limits run out
- Injuries to passengers riding with an at-fault uninsured driver
Every case turns on the language in your policy. Our attorneys examine those terms carefully because insurers often interpret them in ways that limit coverage. Provisions addressing hit-and-run crashes, household members, and reporting deadlines frequently determine whether your claim gets paid. Experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers can identify coverage issues, challenge improper policy interpretations, and protect your right to recover compensation.
What Is The Difference Between Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage applies when the at-fault driver had no insurance at all, including hit-and-run drivers who cannot be found. Underinsured motorist coverage applies when that driver had a policy, but the limits fall short of your actual losses. Understanding how to handle a hit-and-run accident is essential because your uninsured motorist coverage may become the primary source of compensation when the at-fault driver cannot be identified.
Illinois law requires every auto policy issued in the state to include uninsured motorist coverage, a protection set out in 215 ILCS 5/143a. Our lawyers rely on that mandate when an insurer tries to sidestep coverage that should apply.
Specifically, underinsured coverage fills the gap between the other driver's low limits and the full value of your claim. Without it, a serious injury can outrun a small policy within days of treatment.
For example, imagine the other driver carried only a small policy that runs out after your first hospital stay. Your underinsured coverage can step in to cover surgery, therapy, and the income you lose while out of work.
Who Pays When The At-Fault Driver Has No Insurance?
Your own insurer pays, drawing from the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your policy. The claim can feel strange, since you are filing against the same company that collects your premiums, yet that is how the coverage works. Knowing how to deal with your insurance company after an accident can help protect your rights and avoid mistakes during the claims process.
In contrast to a standard claim against another driver, an uninsured motorist claim asks your insurer to step into the shoes of the party who hurt you. Some adjusters treat their own policyholders as adversaries once a claim grows large. Our lawyers expect that shift and prepare for it.
Illinois law governs how your insurer must respond when another driver's limits cannot cover what you lost, codified at 215 ILCS 5/143a-2. Our uninsured/underinsured motorist accident lawyers hold carriers to that standard.
How Do Our Lawyers Handle An Uninsured Motorist Claim?
Our attorneys take over the entire claim, from notifying your insurer to negotiating the final payment or taking the dispute to arbitration. You are never expected to argue policy language or place a value on your own injuries.
Several moving parts decide how much an uninsured motorist claim is worth, and our attorneys manage each one:
- Policy investigation: Locating every layer of coverage available to you, including household and umbrella policies.
- Liability proof: Gathering the proof that shows the missing or uninsured driver caused the crash.
- Damage valuation: Documenting medical care, lost income, and long-term effects so the figure reflects reality.
- Arbitration readiness: Preparing every claim as if it will go before a neutral panel, which strengthens negotiation.
Insurers move toward a fair number faster when they see a thorough, well-supported file from day one. For example, a record built with treating-physician notes carries more weight than a verbal demand.
Our attorneys also track every notice deadline in your policy, since one missed letter can give the insurer an excuse to deny the claim.
How Does Arbitration Work In An Illinois Uninsured Motorist Case?
Many uninsured motorist policies in Illinois require disputes to go to arbitration instead of a jury trial. Arbitration means a neutral third party, or a panel of three, hears the evidence and decides the value of your claim. The process tends to move faster than a courtroom case.
In practice, each side often selects an arbitrator, and those two choose a third to round out the panel. Our uninsured/underinsured motorist accident lawyers prepare exhibits, medical records, and witness statements for that setting, the same way they would for trial.
The primary reason this matters is leverage. An insurer that knows your file is ready for a hearing has little reason to gamble on one. Our lawyers explain whether your policy forces arbitration and what the clause means for your claim.
What Losses Can An Uninsured Motorist Claim Cover?
An uninsured motorist claim can recover the same categories of loss as a claim against an insured driver. Medical treatment, lost earnings, and the human cost of a serious injury all factor into the value.
A well-documented claim accounts for losses that reach into the future, not only the bills already in hand:
- Future surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Reduced earning capacity after a career-altering injury
- Home modifications needed after a disabling crash
- Loss of normal life and daily independence
Our attorneys press for the full picture, since insurers tend to value only what is easy to measure. The primary reason claims settle low is simple: nobody documented the lasting harm. Our lawyers bring in medical and vocational input when a serious injury changes how you live or work.
Why Do Insurers Push Back On These Claims?
Insurers resist uninsured motorist claims because every dollar paid comes straight from their own reserves, with no other carrier to share the cost. They may dispute fault, question the severity of your injuries, or argue that the policy does not apply.
Unlike negotiating with a stranger's insurer, you face a company that knows your history and your policy inside out. Our lawyers offset that imbalance by treating the claim as a case from day one, not a courtesy request.
Common tactics include delaying a decision, requesting endless paperwork, and floating a quick, lowball figure before you grasp the full extent of your injuries. Our lawyers recognize these moves and answer with documentation rather than frustration.
Speak with our Illinois attorneys before you accept any offer, no obligation.
Why Does Acting Quickly Protect Your Claim?
The window to act on an uninsured motorist claim is shorter than most people expect, and the practical problems start well before any legal deadline. Witnesses become hard to reach, vehicle damage gets repaired, and policy notice requirements can quietly lapse.
Illinois requires every registered vehicle to carry insurance under 625 ILCS 5/7-601, yet thousands of drivers ignore that rule. When one of them hits you, your own coverage becomes the realistic path to payment, and prompt notice to your insurer protects it.
Find out what your uninsured motorist claim may be worth. Our consultations cost nothing.
Why Drivers Across Illinois Choose Abels & Annes, P.C.
Abels & Annes, P.C. has built a record of winning millions for injury clients across Illinois, including substantial policy-limit results in serious crash cases.
Recognition from the wider legal community backs that record.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service, has named our attorneys to its Top 100 Lawyer list, and AVVO rates our practice 10.0 Superb. Our membership in the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums reflects results in high-value matters.
Results may vary. Prior case outcomes do not guarantee similar results. What our record shows is how our uninsured/underinsured motorist accident lawyers approach a fight with an insurer that wants to pay as little as possible.
Several features of how the firm works matter most to drivers facing an uninsured crash:
- Free consultations available around the clock
- A roster of about five attorneys, so files get direct attention
- Legal service in English, Spanish, and Polish
- Travel to your home or hospital room when you cannot come in
Our attorneys carry the cost of the case, and there is no fee unless we win. That arrangement keeps the door open, no matter your financial situation after a crash.
Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Uninsured Motorist Claims
Will My Premiums Go Up If I File An Uninsured Motorist Claim?
In most cases, an insurer cannot raise your rates simply because you filed a claim for a crash you did not cause. Illinois regulations limit surcharges tied to accidents where you were not at fault. Our lawyers can review your policy and explain how your carrier treats uninsured motorist claims.
Can I File If The Hit-And-Run Driver Was Never Identified?
Yes. Lawmakers built uninsured motorist coverage in part for hit-and-run crashes, where the at-fault driver flees and nobody can identify them. You generally must report the incident promptly to the police and your insurer. Our attorneys help meet those notice rules so the claim stays valid.
What If My Passengers Were Hurt In The Crash?
Your uninsured motorist policy usually covers passengers in your vehicle when an uninsured driver causes the wreck. The same coverage can reach family members in certain situations, even in another car. Our lawyers sort out which policy applies to each injured person and how the limits stack.
Should I Give The Insurance Company A Recorded Statement?
Not before you speak with our lawyers. Insurers use recorded statements to lock in details they can later twist against your claim. You are under no obligation to provide one on the spot. Our attorneys handle these communications so the insurer cannot use your words to shrink your recovery.
Adjusters often call within hours of a crash, while you are shaken and on pain medication, hoping you will guess at facts or downplay an injury. Our lawyers field those calls instead, give the insurer only what your policy requires, and keep the conversation from becoming a trap. That early communication can also affect how insurers calculate pain and suffering and other damages later in the claim.
Does Illinois Let Insurers Subtract Other Benefits From My Payout?
Not freely. Illinois courts have limited an insurer's ability to reduce uninsured motorist payments by amounts you received from sources like workers' compensation. The rules are technical and fact-specific. Our attorneys examine every offset an insurer claims and challenge the ones that do not hold up.
Talk To Our Illinois Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Lawyers Today
When an uninsured or underinsured driver leaves you covering losses you never caused, Abels & Annes, P.C. can pursue the insurance benefits to support your recovery. The sooner you contact our firm, the sooner our attorneys can evaluate your damages, protect evidence, and preserve your claim before reporting deadlines tighten.
A short conversation lets you know where you stand and what comes next, with no pressure to decide anything on the spot, only the information you need to move forward. Call (312) 924-7575 or request your free consultation online now, available 24/7. Let us fight for you.
Abels & Annes, P.C. - Chicago Office
Address: 100 N La Salle St Ste 1710
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 924-7575