Uninsured Motorist Lawyer Burbank

You did everything right. You paid for insurance, you stopped at the light, and a driver with no policy hit you anyway. Now the other side has nothing to pay with, and your own insurer holds the money. That is where many Burbank drivers get a shock. The company that took your premiums treats your injury claim like a dispute. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. handles uninsured and underinsured motorist claims as part of its motor vehicle injury practice. Attorney Moe Abdallah (State Bar No. 348886) takes the calls himself and works on contingency. Here you will learn the three situations that fall under UM and UIM and what the Burbank Police report does for a hit-and-run. We also cover why your own insurer becomes your opponent, the two-year deadline that can end your claim quietly, and how Moe handles these cases. The review is free, and you owe nothing unless he wins.

Uninsured, underinsured, or gone: which claim you have

These are three different problems with three different paths. An uninsured driver has no policy at all. An underinsured driver has a policy, but its limits are too low for your injuries. A hit-and-run driver is unknown, so no policy can be found. In each case, your own uninsured motorist coverage can step in. California requires every auto bodily injury policy to include UM coverage, and underinsured coverage comes with it, unless you agreed in writing, on the statutory form, to delete or lower it (Ins. Code section 11580.2). The limits can never fall below the state minimums, which are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025. That minimum is thin. Say a driver with a bare minimum policy rear-ends you on Olive Avenue, and your bills from the Providence Saint Joseph emergency room and follow-up care pass $30,000. That is an underinsured claim. With an underinsured driver, the process runs in order. The at-fault driver's liability limits usually have to be paid first, and whatever you get from that driver is subtracted from your UIM limit. Moe reads your policy declarations first. The limit you chose years ago decides how much is on the table.

What Burbank's crash numbers say about hit-and-run

Hit-and-runs are not Burbank's headline problem, and we will not pretend they are. In the California Office of Traffic Safety rankings, Burbank placed 26th of 61 cities in its population group for hit-and-run in 2022 and 36th of 62 in 2023, where rank 1 is the worst record. That is mid-pack. The city does rank high for pedestrian victims, 4th in 2022 and 11th in 2023. A pedestrian hit by a driver who flees is a likely UM claimant. Any driver who flees can vanish fast on roads like Olive Avenue, Buena Vista Street, Victory Boulevard, Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank Boulevard, and the I-5 and SR-134 corridors. City data reported by myBurbank counted 50 collisions at Victory Place and Burbank Boulevard from 2015 to 2020. That data is older, but it shows where cars meet and where witnesses and cameras should be.

Hit-and-run in Burbank: the 24-hour report and the 30-day statement

For an unknown driver, California adds two short deadlines on top of the two-year one. The other vehicle must have made physical contact with you or your vehicle. You must report the crash within 24 hours to the city police, or to the sheriff or CHP in unincorporated areas, and you must file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days (Ins. Code section 11580.2(b)). In Burbank, the city police are the Burbank Police Department at 200 N. Third St., Burbank, CA 91502. The non-emergency line is (818) 238-3000. The department takes a collision report for hit-and-run, so make the call even if you are hurt and unsure of details. Your insurer will want that report. You can buy it online through LexisNexis at least four days after the crash, or at the Records Bureau at (818) 238-3140. Moe has recovered $100,000, the UM policy limit, for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled with no police report, after other firms turned her down. Past results do not promise a similar outcome.

Your own insurer is now on the other side

A UM claim is not a favor from a friend. You are claiming against your own policy, and the adjuster is trained to question your injuries, your treatment, and your story. Some insurers float a quick number that looks fair when you have no other source of money. Do not take the first number. Do not settle with the at-fault driver, or take a case to judgment against that driver, without your UM insurer's written consent, because doing so can void your coverage (Ins. Code section 11580.2(c)(3)). For underinsured claims, you must promptly serve your insurer with a copy of any lawsuit you file against the underinsured driver. UM limits from different policies generally cannot be stacked. If the other driver was uninsured and your own damage is in the car, there may also be uninsured motorist property damage coverage, with its own short reporting rules. Moe reads your policy and the claim paperwork in the first conversation. Then he deals with the insurer so you do not have to. In one case the at-fault insurer offered $900. Moe got that insurer to tender its limit, then added a UIM claim, for $75,000 total. Past results do not promise a similar outcome.

The two-year UM deadline, arbitration, and Proposition 213

A UM claim runs on its own clock. Under Insurance Code section 11580.2(i), you lose the claim unless, within two years of the accident, you sue the uninsured driver, reach an agreement with your insurer, or formally start arbitration by written notice sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. Once arbitration starts, it generally must finish within five years. People can lose the right while they wait on an adjuster. If a claim is pending and you have no lawyer, the insurer must send written notice of the deadline at least 30 days before it runs (section 11580.2(k)). Once you hire a lawyer, that notice is no longer required, so your lawyer has to watch the date. Proposition 213 is the other trap. Under Civil Code section 3333.4, if you owned an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash, were driving without financial responsibility, or were convicted of DUI for that crash, you generally cannot recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. That applies to UM claims too. An uninsured owner hit by a convicted drunk driver is excepted. California's pure comparative negligence rule means partial fault reduces your award instead of barring it. If a city vehicle hit you, the rules change, because government vehicles are excluded from UM, and a written claim to the City of Burbank is due within six months.

Injuries, Providence Saint Joseph, and how Moe handles UM claims

Common injuries include broken bones, spinal injuries, concussions, and torn joints that need surgery. In Burbank, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center at 501 S. Buena Vista St. has a 24/7 emergency department at (818) 843-5111. Go, even if you walk out feeling fine, and follow up with your own doctor. Your insurer will read every gap in treatment as a sign you were not hurt. A UM case is built on medical proof. Many UM claims are decided in arbitration with your insurer. If a suit against the at-fault driver is filed, it may be heard at the Burbank Courthouse at 300 E. Olive Ave. or elsewhere in LA Superior Court. Keep records, bills, and photos. Moe has recovered $105,000 for an uninsured client with a broken sternum, covering hospital bills and future treatment, so he knows how to tie a claim to the medical record. Past results do not promise a similar outcome. He answers your calls, updates you by call and text, and charges nothing unless he wins. Call (323) 716-1992 any time. Se habla español.

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