Virginia Insurance Legal Questions

If you are hurt as a passenger when your driver is drunk and at-fault for the wreck, the insurer will try to claim that you knew that the driver was drunk and that you assumed the risk of injury by getting in the car with them. These are tricky cases and depend on the extent of the passenger's knowledge of the drinking and level of intoxication of the driver. They can be won and sometimes the insurer can be forced to accept some responsibility if you can show that you did not realize or were mislead about the driver's ability to function.... Read More

I'm sorry to hear about this.  You should check your state laws to see if your state allows any type of stacking wherein you could potentially get more money if you have other auto policies.   A local plaintiffs attorney should be able to tell you if your state allows anything like that.  In Mississippi, we can stack other UM policies to get more coverage.  You could see if the parents have any assets, but like you said, it is likely the teen has no assets.    It would be a hard fight but could be worth it.  Best of luck.  NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this response. ... Read More

If they don't have car insurance, then you will likely not be successful in obtaining any funds from them.  You should check with your  insurance carrier and see if you have any uninsured motorist coverage.  If you do, this is exactly what this type of coverage is for - it is to protect you in the even that you are in an accident with an uninsured driver.  Thus, if you have the coverage, you should be able to get compensation from your own insurance company (and there should  not be any type of penalty).  Check with your insurance provider.  Best of luck! NOTE:  This response is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice.  No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this response.... Read More