uninsured motorist claim

I live in CA and my husband has an uninsured motorist claim with his automobile insurance company. He has $7000 in medical bills and they offered us only $8750. We think this is rather low and plan to go to arbitration. What's our next step? Do we have to go through one of the three major arbitration networks: AAA, National Arbitration Forum, or JAMS? Please advise.

You make a written demand for arbitration with your insurance carrier. Your husband and your insurance carrier will then have to decide on an arbitrator. The arbitration is paid for by your insurance carrier.

You can use any of the private arbitration services - JAMS, Judicate West, ARC, etc.

Do you think an offer of $8750 is low for bills that are $7000? We're worried an arbitrator will offer us something below this although I heard they won't go below what we were already offered. Once we submit a written demand for arbitration, then does our insurance carrier provide us with the next step as far as forms to fill out, etc? Are there differences between the various private arbitration services and do we have to use any of them? I know these are a lot of questions.

hanalei said:

Do you think an offer of $8750 is low for bills that are $7000? We're worried an arbitrator will offer us something below this although I heard they won't go below what we were already offered. Once we submit a written demand for arbitration, then does our insurance carrier provide us with the next step as far as forms to fill out, etc? Are there differences between the various private arbitration services and do we have to use any of them? I know these are a lot of questions.

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My response:

Why are you doing this yourself?

Do you really think you could go against some of the "big boys" like StephenK or myself? If you could handle your own U.M. case, you wouldn't even be asking these questions. But, you're trying to save a penny or two, here and there, and what's going to happen to you is that you're going to lose, or be forced to settle for far less than you're entitled to receive. So, go ahead. Run your own claim. We'll see what happens.

Have you ever written an Arbitration Brief?

What's a "1613"?

What kind of evidence are you allowed to present at Arbitration?

Witnesses - - lay and expert?

What's a Petition to Compel Arbitration?

What happened with your U.M. Discovery?

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Ever heard of the Titanic?

IAAL

Plus, an arbitrator does not "offer" anything. you present your evidence in support of your position and demand a specific amount of money. Your insurance company disputes your evidence and presents their evidence to show your claim is worth less than what you want.

The arbitrator then makes a binding decision as to the value of your hubby's case.