Uninsured Motorist Lawyer in Long Beach

You did everything right. You had insurance, you stopped at the light, and then a driver with no policy, a thin policy, or no name at all hit you. Now the only company with money on the table is your own, and it is not on your side. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. is a Los Angeles motor-vehicle injury firm, and attorney Moe Abdallah handles Long Beach uninsured motorist claims himself. We took one UM case other firms turned down, for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled, and recovered the $100,000 policy limit, though past results do not predict a similar outcome. A UM claim runs on its own deadlines and its own paperwork. One missed step can void coverage you paid for. The free consultation is open 24/7. We work on contingency, and we speak Spanish. If you were hurt by a driver who could not pay, call before you sign or record anything for your insurer.

Why so many Long Beach drivers end up with a UM claim

Long Beach is a big city with heavy traffic, and the driver who hits you may not be able to pay for the damage. The state minimum is only $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident on policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025. A serious injury eats that in a hospital stay. California's Office of Traffic Safety ranked Long Beach first among 15 comparable cities in 2023 for total fatal and injury crash victims, with 3,774, and second of 15 for alcohol-involved victims. The city also logged 53 fatal traffic collisions in 2025, its most in over a decade. We cannot tell you how many involved uninsured drivers, because no source we found breaks that out, but the crash numbers show why UM coverage matters on Pacific Coast Highway, Orange Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, and the I-710, I-405, and I-605. Your own UM and UIM coverage steps into the gap. California law requires it on every auto bodily-injury policy unless you agreed in writing to drop or lower it, and we check whether you did.

Uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run: three different claims

UM and UIM are sold together in California, but the claims work differently. An uninsured motorist claim fits a driver with no policy. An underinsured claim fits a driver whose limits are too low for your losses. For UIM, the at-fault driver's liability limits must be paid first, and your UIM insurer then owes you up to your UIM limit minus what that driver paid. A hit-and-run is a third path. If the driver cannot be identified, California treats that vehicle as uninsured only when three things happen. Your injury must come from physical contact with the other vehicle. You must report the crash within 24 hours to the police. Long Beach is a city, so that means the Long Beach Police Department; in unincorporated areas it is the Sheriff or CHP. And you must file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days. Miss one and the claim can fail, so we check the dates first. Fleeing the scene of an injury crash is a crime under Vehicle Code 20001, but a criminal case does not pay your bills. Your UM coverage can.

Deadlines that can end a UM claim before you start

Most people know about the two-year lawsuit deadline in Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. UM claims add a trap of their own. Under Insurance Code 11580.2(i), your UM claim does not accrue unless, within two years of the accident, you sue the uninsured driver, you reach an agreement with your insurer on the amount owed, or you formally start arbitration by certified mail, return receipt requested. A phone call or an email to the adjuster does not count. Once arbitration starts, it generally has to finish within five years. Other steps matter too. Settling with the at-fault driver without your insurer's written consent can void your UM coverage. For an underinsured claim, you must promptly serve your insurer with a copy of any complaint you file against the driver. UM limits from several vehicles or policies cannot be stacked. If your claim is pending, the insurer must warn you about the deadline at least 30 days before it runs out, but not when you have a lawyer. We calendar each date from day one, because insurers sometimes let a clock expire while they investigate.

Proving the other driver was uninsured, or that nobody can find them

Your insurer will not simply take your word. You need the Long Beach police report, which you request by mailing the department's application and photo ID to 400 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802, ATTN: Information Management Division, with a $30 fee. Processing may take up to about six months, so we ask early. The report can show the other driver, the plate, and insurance details, or record that the driver fled. We also look for city and storefront cameras, plate numbers from witnesses, and 911 call records. If the driver is known, we check for any policy on the vehicle or driver, including a policy tied to an owner or an employer. File the DMV SR-1 within 10 days if anyone was hurt or damage passed $1,000. Photograph the scene, the damage, and your injuries, and keep the names of anyone who stopped. For a phantom vehicle, a witness who saw it and a prompt report make a big difference. Government-owned vehicles are excluded from the UM definition, so a crash with a Long Beach city vehicle leads to a claim against the City of Long Beach instead, with six months to present it under Government Code 911.2.

Property damage, Prop 213, and what UM coverage will not pay

Uninsured motorist coverage under Insurance Code 11580.2 pays for your bodily injuries, but not for your vehicle. Car damage falls under a separate, narrower rule. Uninsured motorist property damage, or UMPD, requires physical contact and an identified driver or license plate, a report to your insurer within 10 business days, and arbitration within one year if the claim is disputed. Without collision coverage, the payment is capped at the lesser of actual cash value or $3,500, so check your policy. Property damage also has its own three-year suit deadline. Another trap is Proposition 213. If you owned an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash, drove without financial responsibility, or were convicted of DUI for that accident, you generally cannot recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. An uninsured owner hit by a convicted drunk driver is excepted. Insurers also lean on pure comparative negligence, from Li v. Yellow Cab Co., to shift blame onto you. You can still recover when you share fault, but your award drops by your percentage, so we push back with the evidence. Keep your own policy's declarations page handy, because it lists your UM, UIM, and collision limits.

Hospitals, the courthouse, and how Moe handles the fight with your own insurer

A hit-and-run or an uninsured driver can leave you hurt with no one else to call. If you were taken from a Long Beach crash by ambulance, you may have gone to MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center or St. Mary Medical Center, both Level II trauma centers. Keep every bill, follow every treatment plan, and tell your doctors about every symptom, since your own insurer will read your records closely. UM claims usually go through negotiation or arbitration with your insurer, and a court case may be filed at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, 275 Magnolia Ave., in Los Angeles Superior Court when a lawsuit against the driver is the right path. Moe handles the case himself and updates you by call and text. We build the claim from your medical records, your lost income, and your future care, then press your insurer for fair value. Our results include a $105,000 recovery for an uninsured client with a broken sternum, and past results do not predict a similar outcome. You pay nothing unless we win. Call us any hour at (323) 716-1992.

Talk to a Long Beach 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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