Prop. 213 - You Need Liability Insurance

Watch any courtroom drama on TV and you will hear all about "pain and suffering." People injured in car accidents normally are able to recover for their pain and suffering, as distinguished from lost wages or medical bills. They recover for their lost wages, which replaces the money they lost because they could not work. They recover for their medical bills, which pays the doctors who treated them. But the big one is usually pain and suffering, which is meant to compensate injured people out of recognition of the pain and anguish caused by someone else's negligence.

But if you do not have liability insurance, you can recover only for your out-of-pocket monetary expenses. So there goes your "big case." You can not recover for permanent scars, even if you are disfigured for life. You can not recover for the pain caused by a serious and permanent injury. Probably just as important, if you cause an accident and you have no insurance, you may be subject to criminal liability and you may have to pay out of your pocket for damages you have caused to someone else.

It is therefore really important to make sure you have liability insurance. You should also buy uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage - which pays for your damages if someone who hits you has no insurance.

If you are in a car accident and would like to speak with a personal injury attorney for a free consultation, call Pete Clancy immediately at 925-835-7500. Clancy & Diaz, LLP is an Oakland personal injury firm. Click here to see some what our clients say about us.