Uninsured Motorist Lawyer in Sherman Oaks

You did everything right, and the other driver had no insurance. Or they had a minimum policy that will not touch your medical bills. Or they hit you and left. In California, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is meant for that day, but your own insurer may not simply hand it over. It can treat your claim like any other and look for reasons to pay less. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. represents people hurt in Sherman Oaks and the San Fernando Valley whose crashes turn into UM or UIM claims. You work directly with Moe, the firm is available 24/7, and you pay no fee unless he wins. Below, you will find the three kinds of claim, the hit-and-run rules with their 24-hour and 30-day steps, how your own insurer becomes your opponent, the deadlines and Proposition 213, and what to do in Sherman Oaks in the first days after a crash.

Uninsured, underinsured, or gone: three different claims

People say uninsured motorist claim for everything, but California treats three situations differently. First, the driver has no insurance at all, and your UM coverage pays for your bodily injuries. Second, the driver has a policy, but the limits are too low for your losses. That is an underinsured motorist claim. California's minimum liability limit is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 (Veh. Code 16056), and a single surgery can cost more than that. Third, the driver cannot be identified because they fled. That is a hit-and-run claim, and the law treats the unknown car as uninsured if specific steps are met. Every California auto policy with bodily injury liability must include UM coverage unless you signed a written form to delete or reduce it (Ins. Code 11580.2(a)). UIM is built into that same coverage. Check your declarations page for your UM/UIM limits, because they set the ceiling for what your own insurer owes you. If you were a rideshare passenger, separate rideshare UM/UIM rules may also apply, and Moe checks those too.

Why a Sherman Oaks crash can turn into a UM claim

Sherman Oaks traffic runs on the US-101, the I-405 through the Sepulveda Pass, and the boulevards that feed them: Ventura, Van Nuys, Sepulveda, Magnolia, and Burbank. Crashes on those roads involve drivers from all over Los Angeles County, and you cannot tell who is insured from the seat of your car. We have no neighborhood statistics on uninsured drivers, so we will not guess at rates. What the public record does show is that hit-and-runs happen here. In October 2025, a 62-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run on Van Nuys Boulevard just south of Huston Street, and LAPD Valley Traffic Division investigated, as reported by KTLA. That is one incident, not a ranking of dangerous streets. It does show why the hit-and-run rules below matter if you live in or travel through Sherman Oaks, Magnolia Woods, or Chandler Estates. Many UM claims start the same way. The other driver gives a name, an insurance card turns out to be expired, or the policy was cancelled. Photograph the other car, plate, and insurance card, and call the police before anyone leaves.

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

If the driver who hit you fled and cannot be identified, your UM coverage can still pay, but only if you meet three conditions in Insurance Code 11580.2(b). First, your injury must come from physical contact with the unknown vehicle. Second, you must report the crash within 24 hours to the police department of the city where it happened, or the sheriff or CHP if it happened in unincorporated territory. Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles, not unincorporated county land, so the police department here is LAPD, through the Van Nuys Community Police Station at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, 818-374-9500. Even if CHP responds to a crash on the US-101 or I-405, make sure a report reaches LAPD within 24 hours. Third, you must file a sworn statement with your insurer within 30 days of that report. The 24-hour report is a condition of your coverage, not just a good idea, so make it even if you are in the hospital and have a family member call. UM coverage does not pay for your car, only your injuries. A near miss with no contact is generally not covered. If a witness or a camera finds the driver later, the claim may become an ordinary liability case, and you could be paid from their insurance instead. Moe keeps both paths open until the facts settle.

Your own insurer is now the other side

A UM claim goes against the company you pay every month, and that company is not on your side. The adjuster can ask for a recorded statement, and medical authorizations, and then argue that you were partly at fault or that your injuries came from something earlier. California follows pure comparative negligence, so partial fault only cuts your award (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804). Some rules can wreck a claim if you miss them. Settling with the at-fault driver without your UM insurer's written consent can void your UM coverage (Ins. Code 11580.2(c)(3)). For an underinsured claim, the at-fault driver's liability limits generally have to be paid before UIM applies, and your insurer subtracts what you got from your UIM limit (11580.2(p)(3)-(4)). UM limits from several policies cannot be stacked (11580.2(q)). You must promptly serve your UIM insurer with a copy of any lawsuit filed against the underinsured driver (11580.2(p)(6)). Moe handles these steps personally and keeps you updated by call and text.

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

Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1), but UM and UIM claims have their own two-year rule. Under Insurance Code 11580.2(i), your claim does not accrue unless within two years of the crash you sue the uninsured driver, reach an agreement with your insurer on the amount, or start arbitration by written notice sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. Many policies send UM disputes to arbitration, and it generally has to be finished within five years. If your insurer knows about the claim and you have no lawyer, it must send written notice of the deadline at least 30 days before it runs out, but that notice is not required when you have an attorney. Proposition 213 adds a trap. If you owned an uninsured vehicle, or were driving without financial responsibility, you generally cannot recover pain and suffering damages (Civ. Code 3333.4). You also lose them if you were convicted of DUI for the crash. There is an exception for an uninsured owner hit by a convicted drunk driver. Uninsured motorist property damage is a separate coverage your insurer must offer. Without collision coverage it pays up to the lesser of your car's actual cash value or $3,500, but only if the at-fault driver or the plate is identified and you report to your insurer within 10 business days (Ins. Code 11580.26).

Sherman Oaks injuries, hospitals, and how Moe handles UM claims

UM cases come out of every kind of crash, and the injuries range from whiplash to spinal fractures and brain injuries. Sherman Oaks Hospital at 4929 Van Nuys Boulevard has an emergency department, Encino Hospital Medical Center on Ventura Boulevard offers 24-hour emergency care, and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills is a Level II trauma center. Get care right away and keep every bill. A gap in treatment is the first thing an insurer points to. Here is how Moe works. He moves to save the proof, such as the police report, photos, witness names, and any camera video, before it fades. He goes through your UM and UIM limits with you and keeps you updated by call and text. Past results do not predict a similar outcome, but Moe secured a $100,000 policy-limit UM recovery for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled with no police report, after other firms turned her down. He also recovered $75,000 in total after an at-fault insurer offered $900. You pay no fee unless he wins. Se habla español.

Talk to a Sherman Oaks 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 →

Frequently Asked Questions

Other cases we handle in Sherman Oaks

See everything we handle in Sherman Oaks →

Uninsured Motorist lawyers in other cities we serve