Woodland Hills Personal Injury Lawyer Barry P. Goldberg has long been a leading advocate of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage. Most of Mr. Goldberg’s advocacy focuses on the fact that “unlicensed” drivers have reached alarming rates in California markedly increasing the chances that your traffic collision will be “uninsured.” The California legislature estimated the “unlicensed” driving population at around two million!
In a report just released and covered in the Los Angeles Times, a human rights and activist group shows that “suspended” licenses are an even bigger problem in California. That group, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, is concerned that the “suspended” license population helps force struggling Californians into a circle of poverty. However, a brief analysis of that report also should raise red flags for the legally licensed motoring population in California.
As an Uninsured Motorist expert, it is not a stretch to consider that if a driver’s license is suspended, he or she cannot purchase automobile liability insurance. If the numbers are even close to correct, it is the equivalent of every resident in Los Angeles either unlicensed or with a suspended license driving in California! It practically guarantees that your next accident will involve an uninsured motorist.
The only defense you have is to purchase a sufficient amount of Uninsured Motorist Coverage to protect you and your family. You must assume that the “other guy” is uninsured. While much has been written about the exact amount to purchase, consider that Uninsured Motorist Coverage is still a relative bargain and that you should never, ever “waive” Uninsured Motorist Coverage! It is recommended that your Uninsured Motorist Coverage match the amount of your liability coverage.
