Uninsured Motorist Lawyer in Encino

The other driver hit you on Ventura Boulevard, and then you learn he has no insurance. Or he sped off and left you at the curb. Or he carries a policy so small it will not cover your surgery. In California, your own policy steps in here, through uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, called UM and UIM. The catch is that your own insurer now sits across the table, and it can be just as stubborn as a stranger's company. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. handles these claims for people hurt in motor vehicle crashes across Los Angeles. Moe reviews your policy, finds every other source of money, and keeps you updated by call and text. Below you will find how UM claims work after an Encino crash, the hit-and-run reporting rules, the two-year clock, and where to get your records. A review is free, and you owe no fee unless Moe wins.

No policy, too little, or a driver who vanished

People lump three different problems together, and each needs its own handling. An uninsured driver has no liability coverage at all. An underinsured driver has coverage, but not enough to pay your losses. A hit-and-run driver leaves before anyone gets a plate. California's minimum liability limits for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 are only $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, plus $15,000 for property damage (Vehicle Code 16056). A hospital stay and surgery can cost more than that. Your UM and UIM coverage exists to fill that hole. Under Insurance Code 11580.2, every California auto liability policy must include UM coverage unless you agreed in writing, on the statutory form, to remove or reduce it. UIM comes with UM. If you rejected it years ago and forgot, we check what you actually signed. Moe also checks whether any other policy may cover you. Another policy can sometimes add money beyond your own limits. Moe asks for your declarations page and the full policy, then compares your UM limits with your medical bills from day one. If your own UM limit is low, he looks for every other source of payment, including the at-fault driver.

Where uninsured crashes happen around Encino

Encino traffic runs along Ventura Boulevard and across Sepulveda Boulevard, Balboa Boulevard, White Oak Avenue, Louise Avenue, Hayvenhurst Avenue, Densmore Avenue, Burbank Boulevard, and Victory Boulevard, with the US-101 and I-405 on either side. Any of those streets can produce a crash with an uninsured driver. We found no official Encino count, so we won't invent numbers about how often it happens here. What matters is what you do when it does. At the scene, get the other driver's name, license, plate, and anything on the vehicle. Ask for the insurance card and write down what the driver says. Take photos of both cars. If a driver says he has no insurance, or hands you an expired card, note it, because your UM claim starts there. If a car fled, look for cameras on Ventura Boulevard storefronts and gas stations right away. Many businesses record over their video on a short cycle. Call 911, report the plate if you caught any of it, and ask for a report number. Don't settle with a driver in cash on the spot. An informal deal can hurt a later UM claim.

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

If the driver is unknown, California sets strict steps. For a hit-and-run UM claim, the other vehicle must have made physical contact with you or your vehicle. You must report the crash to the police within 24 hours, which for a crash in Encino, part of the City of Los Angeles, means LAPD. You must also file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days (Insurance Code 11580.2(b)). Miss either step and your insurer will point to it. Moe handled a case in which a woman was rear-ended by a driver who fled, with no police report, after other firms had turned her down. It ended in a $100,000 policy-limit UM recovery. Past results do not predict a similar outcome, but the facts show a hit-and-run claim can still work. LAPD's West Valley Community Police Station, at 19020 Vanowen Street in Reseda, serves Encino. Request the collision report through LAPD's online Traffic Collision Report page and allow at least 45 days. Reports involving an arrest, a death, or a juvenile go by mail with the LAPD form and a $19.00 check or money order.

Your own insurer is now the other side

Many people are shocked when the company they paid for years fights their UM claim. It is a first-party claim, but the insurer still wants to pay less. Expect a request for a recorded statement, a demand for medical records, an argument that your injuries predate the crash, or a low offer that ignores future care. Don't settle with the at-fault driver or sign a release without your own insurer's written consent. That can void your UM coverage (Insurance Code 11580.2(c)(3)). For an underinsured claim, the at-fault driver's limits generally have to be paid first, and what you collect from that driver is subtracted from your UIM limit (11580.2(p)(3)-(4)). If you sue that underinsured driver, you must promptly serve your UIM insurer with a copy of the complaint. California also follows pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, so partial fault reduces your award but does not erase it. UM and UIM limits from multiple vehicles or policies generally cannot be stacked (11580.2(q)). Moe reads the policy and the statute side by side before he makes a demand.

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

A UM claim runs on its own two-year clock. Under Insurance Code 11580.2(i)(1), you lose the claim unless, within two years of the accident, you sue the uninsured driver, agree with your insurer on the amount, or start arbitration by written notice sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. Once arbitration begins, it must generally finish within five years. A regular injury lawsuit against a private driver has a two-year limit under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If you were hurt by a City of Los Angeles vehicle, UM does not apply to government-owned vehicles, and you must present a claim to the City Clerk within six months (Gov. Code 911.2). Proposition 213 (Civil Code 3333.4) can bar pain and suffering damages if you owned an uninsured vehicle in the crash, drove without financial responsibility, or were convicted of DUI for that accident. It does not bar medical bills and lost wages. If you had no insurance yourself, call before you assume the claim is dead. Moe can tell you what still applies to you. If you start arbitration, send the notice the right way. A phone call or an ordinary email does not count.

Encino injuries, hospitals, and how Moe handles UM claims

An uninsured or fleeing driver can leave you with the same injuries as any other crash, and sometimes worse ones. Common injuries include herniated discs, broken bones, concussions, and shoulder and knee tears. Encino Hospital Medical Center at 16237 Ventura Boulevard is the local general acute care hospital, with Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana and Northridge Hospital Medical Center also nearby. Go where the paramedics take you. Save every bill and stick to your treatment plan. If your car was damaged, uninsured motorist property damage coverage has tight rules under Insurance Code 11580.26: contact with an identified driver or plate, a report to your insurer within 10 business days, and, if you lack collision coverage, a payout capped at the lesser of your car's actual cash value or $3,500. Moe works on contingency, so you pay no fee unless he wins, and the free consultation is available 24/7 at (323) 716-1992. In one case, he recovered $105,000 for an uninsured client with a broken sternum, covering hospital bills and future treatment. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. Se habla Español.

Talk to a Encino uninsured motorist lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our uninsured motorist representation →

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