New Haven Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Lawyer

Trusted Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Attorney in New Haven, CT

What a New Haven Uninsured Motorist Lawyer Does When the Claim Is Against Your Own Policy

When the driver who hit you had no insurance, or not enough of it, your injuries and your bills do not disappear. The claim just moves to a different opponent, and that opponent is your own insurance company.

A New Haven personal injury lawyer at Balzano & Tropiano has been answering that exact question since Alphonse Balzano Jr. founded the firm in New Haven in 1996. As New Haven uninsured motorist lawyers, our approach to your own insurer does not soften just because the check comes from your policy instead of the other driver’s. We tell the carrier what the claim is worth, and we prepare every uninsured and underinsured motorist claim as if it may end up in front of an arbitrator or a judge.

Reach out and tell us what happened. Let’s work together towards understanding what your policy covers and securing a fair recovery before you sign anything from the insurance company.

The New Haven Uninsured Motorist Claims We Take On

Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims cover more situations than most people expect. From our office on Whitney Avenue, we regularly handle:

• Hit-and-run accidents: when the driver who caused your crash cannot be identified or located.
• No-insurance accidents: when the at-fault driver carries no auto insurance at all.
• Underinsured claims: when the at-fault driver’s policy limits are too low to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
• Pedestrian and bicycle claims: when you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver while walking or riding in New Haven.
• Passenger claims: when you were riding in a car accident and the driver who hit you did not carry enough coverage of their own.

Why New Haven Drivers Can’t Assume Their Own Insurer Will Pay Fair Value

An estimated 11.8% of Connecticut drivers were uninsured in 2023, according to the Insurance Research Council. Add in the drivers who carry only the state minimum, and a real share of the crashes on I-91, I-95, and the streets around New Haven leaves an injured person facing a policy that cannot cover what they lost.

Connecticut law requires every auto insurer to include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in your policy under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-336, and that coverage is what stands between you and paying your own medical bills out of pocket.

Your insurer still has a financial incentive to value your claim as low as it can, the same as any insurance company would. The same statute generally gives you three years from the date of the crash to bring a claim or demand arbitration, and waiting to talk to a lawyer can cost you that window. When your claim is against an underinsured driver, you may be able to keep your claim alive past three years by sending your insurer written notice before the three years run out.

This reflects Connecticut law as of September 2026.

What Happens After You Call Us About a UM or UIM Claim

We start by getting a copy of your own policy and, if it exists, the at-fault driver’s policy, so we know the real numbers instead of what an adjuster tells you over the phone. From our New Haven office at 321 Whitney Avenue, we put together your medical records, lost wages, and the full impact of the crash before we ever respond to a settlement offer. If your insurer will not pay what the claim is worth, we move the case to arbitration or file suit rather than let a lowball number stand. You hear from us at each step, not just when there is a check to sign.

What We’ve Recovered for Injured Clients Across Connecticut

Every claim is different, but here is a sample of what we have recovered for injured clients in Connecticut. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and no two uninsured or underinsured motorist claims are worth the same amount.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claim Questions New Haven Clients Ask Us

What results have you gotten for clients with uninsured or underinsured motorist claims?

Every case turns on its own facts, but the settlements above show what we are willing to hold out for. We do not accept the first number an insurance company offers just because it came from your own policy instead of a stranger’s.

My own insurance company already offered me a settlement. Do I need a lawyer?

An early offer from your own insurer is rarely the full value of your claim. Once you accept it and sign a release, it is very hard to go back and ask for more later, even if your medical malpractice treatment continues. Courts only reopen a signed release in rare situations, such as fraud or a major mistake by both sides.

What if the insurance company says I don’t qualify as underinsured?

Whether a driver counts as underinsured depends on the specific limits of their policy compared to your damages, not their coverage on paper. We request the at-fault driver’s policy details directly, so you are not relying on the insurance bad faith lawyer.

Does hiring a lawyer for a UM or UIM claim cost me anything upfront?

We handle uninsured and underinsured motorist claims on a contingency basis. You pay nothing upfront, and there is no fee unless we recover money for you.

What happens if my claim has to go to arbitration or court?

Many Connecticut auto policies send UM and UIM disputes to arbitration instead of a jury trial, but this depends on your specific policy. If your policy does not have an arbitration clause, or you choose not to arbitrate, your claim can go to court, including New Haven Superior Court at 121 Elm Street.

Can I file a claim if I was a passenger or pedestrian, not the driver?

Yes. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage applies to passengers and, in many cases, pedestrians struck by an uninsured or underinsured driver, not only the named policyholder behind the wheel.

If any of this sounds like your situation, reach out and we will walk through your policy and your options together.

Talk to a New Haven Underinsured Motorist Lawyer Before You Sign Anything

You do not have to accept your insurance company’s first number, and you do not have to work out your policy limits alone.

Contact Balzano & Tropiano and tell us what happened. Let’s work together toward securing a fair recovery.

This page reflects Connecticut law as of September 2026.