Q: How does UM Insurance work?If I get Uninsured Motorist insurance & an uninsured motorist causes bodily injury to me , how is the insurance paid out ? I have full medical coverage threw Medicare & a supplemental health insurance . If my health ins pays for all hospital & doctor charges can I use UM to pay for pain , suffering & long term nurse care ? Or does the UM insurance have to be used before Medicare & my health insurance ?
A: First of all, get prompt medical attention. Under Florida law, PIP should pay those bills. Thereafter or if your do not have PIP, get treated through whatever health insurance and benefits you can.
Then, any bodily injury insurance of the at-fault driver is in play and can be used to settle your claim.
Over and above that is uninsured motorist insurance. UM is uninsured motorist coverage. UIM is underinsured motorist coverage. It is insurance in which you are covered directly, as policy holder, employee or for some other reason. The UM / UIM will settle for the value of the claim (past medical bills, future medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, etc). Your medical providers, insurance carrier or Medicare may then seek reimbursement for a percentage of the amounts they paid out. It is called subrogation. Better yet, hire an attorney and they will negotiate all of this for you. On large cases, they can “pay” for their fee just on reductions of the medical bills they can get waived. Not to mention the landmines insurance carriers try to hit you with.
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