An uninsured driver rear-ends you on I-285. You call your insurance company expecting help. Instead, they hire lawyers to fight against you.
By Harrell Gunn, Esq. — Gunn Law Group
Your Own Insurance Company Will Fight Against You (Here’s Why)
You have uninsured motorist coverage — the protection you’ve been paying for every month for years. They send you to their own doctors who claim nothing’s wrong with you. They follow you with investigators. They cross-examine you like a criminal.
When you file an uninsured motorist claim, your relationship changes completely. You become their opponent. This betrayal happens to Georgia families every single day. Here’s how to protect yourself when your own insurance company turns against you.
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In Their Own Words
Video testimonials from real clients.
Hear directly from the Georgia families who trusted The Gunn Law Group to fight for them.
The Broken Promise
The Promise Insurance Companies Break When You Need Them Most
Insurance companies advertise protection and peace of mind. “Like a good neighbor.” “You’re in good hands.” “We’re there for you when you need us most.”
But when you file an uninsured motorist claim in Georgia, your insurance company has one goal: pay you as little as possible, as late as possible.
The fundamental promise they break: they sold you uninsured motorist coverage, promising to stand in for the uninsured driver who hit you. Instead, they hire teams of lawyers and investigators to prove you weren’t really hurt, your injuries were pre-existing, or the accident was your fault.
This violates the basic relationship between insurer and policyholder. But it’s legal. And it happens in every UM case in Georgia.
“Like a good neighbor” — until you file a claim
Insurance companies advertise protection and peace of mind. But when you file an uninsured motorist claim in Georgia, your insurance company has one goal: pay you as little as possible, as late as possible.
The promise behind your UM premium
They sold you uninsured motorist coverage, promising to stand in for the uninsured driver who hit you. Instead, they hire teams of lawyers and investigators to prove you weren’t really hurt.
“Pre-existing” defenses against loyal customers
They argue your injuries were pre-existing, or the accident was your fault. This violates the basic relationship between insurer and policyholder. But it’s legal — and it happens in every UM case in Georgia.
Surveillance on their own policyholders
Insurance companies hire investigators to follow you, video your activities, and look for anything that suggests you’re not as hurt as you claim. The customer they sent birthday cards to is now their target.
Your Journey
Your Journey From Loyal Customer to Legal Opponent
Where You Are Now
You’ve paid premiums faithfully for years, trusting that your insurance company would protect you when an uninsured driver caused you harm. Now you’re injured, dealing with medical bills, and your own insurance company is treating you like a fraud.
Where You Need to Be
Receiving the full UM coverage you paid for, with your medical expenses covered and fair compensation for your pain and suffering — without having to fight your own insurance company every step of the way.
The Obstacle
Insurance companies that profit by collecting premiums from loyal customers but fight those same customers when they need coverage the most.
Your Guide
An experienced Georgia UM attorney who knows how insurance companies operate internally and can force them to honor the coverage you purchased.
Clear Path Forward
The Three-Step Process to Beat Your Own Insurance Company
01
Step 1: Level the Playing Field
We immediately protect you from insurance company tactics designed to minimize your claim — recorded statements, broad medical authorizations, and surveillance designed to undercut your case.
02
Step 2: Build Undeniable Evidence
We gather medical evidence, document your injuries, and prove the uninsured driver’s fault so thoroughly that your insurance company can’t credibly dispute your claim.
03
Step 3: Force Fair Payment
We negotiate aggressively using your own policy language and Georgia bad faith laws. If your insurer won’t pay fairly, we take them to court for the coverage plus bad faith penalties.
The Problem
The Staggering Number of Uninsured Georgia Drivers
1 in 7 Georgia drivers has no insurance coverage — approximately 12-14% of vehicles on Atlanta’s roads. On I-285 during rush hour, that means dozens of uninsured cars around you at any given moment.
Beyond uninsured drivers, many Georgia drivers carry only the state minimum: $25,000 per person. A brief hospital stay and MRI easily exceeds $25,000. These “underinsured” drivers can’t pay what they owe you either.
Your uninsured motorist coverage is supposed to fill this gap. But insurance companies have turned UM claims into adversarial battles where they fight their own customers harder than they fight strangers.
The Enemy Within
How Your Insurance Company Becomes Your Enemy
They hire lawyers to represent the uninsured driver
Your own insurance company will send attorneys to court to argue against your claim, cross-examine you, and challenge your injuries.
They conduct surveillance
Investigators follow you, video your activities, and look for anything that suggests you’re not as hurt as you claim.
They send you to their own doctors
“Independent” medical examiners who work exclusively for insurance companies and almost always conclude nothing is wrong with you.
They delay payments hoping you’ll give up
The longer they stall, the more pressure you feel to accept inadequate settlements.
They use your own policy language against you
Finding technical policy provisions to deny or reduce coverage you thought you had.
Bad Faith Playbook
The Bad Faith Tactics Insurance Companies Use Against Their Own Customers
Demanding excessive medical authorizations
They want access to decades of your medical history, looking for pre-existing conditions to blame for your current injuries.
Requesting recorded statements
Anything you say can be taken out of context and used to minimize your claim later.
Misrepresenting policy coverage
Telling you that certain benefits don’t exist or that your coverage is lower than it actually is.
Lowball settlement offers
Hoping you’ll take fast money rather than fight for what your policy actually covers.
Creating artificial deadlines
Pressuring you to accept settlements by claiming offers will expire, even when there’s no legal basis for the deadline.
Free Report
Download: Free Georgia UM Coverage Analysis
“How to Analyze Your Georgia UM Coverage: What Your Insurance Company Doesn’t Want You to Know.”
This analysis reveals:
How to read your UM coverage limits and options
Stacking vs. non-stacking coverage differences
Add-on vs. reduced-by coverage impact
Common policy exclusions to watch for
How to maximize your UM recovery
Understand your coverage before your insurance company tries to minimize it.
Coverage Options
The Georgia UM Coverage Options Your Agent Might Not Have Explained
Add-On vs. Reduced-By Coverage
Add-on UM pays your limits on top of what the at-fault driver’s insurance pays. Reduced-by subtracts the at-fault payment from your UM limits. Add-on costs more but can double your recovery.
Stacking vs. Non-Stacking
If you have multiple vehicles, stacking may let you combine UM limits across vehicles. A family with two cars and $50,000 UM each might access $100,000 total with stackable coverage.
Rejection Waivers
Many Georgians unknowingly signed waivers rejecting UM coverage to lower premiums. Without UM coverage, you have no protection when uninsured drivers hit you.
These distinctions can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference in recovery. Insurance companies hope you don’t understand the coverage you bought.
The Legal Reality
Why Insurance Companies Can Legally Fight Their Own Customers
Contractual relationship changes
When you file a UM claim, you’re no longer just a customer — you become a claimant making a demand against your insurance company’s money.
Adversarial interests
Your insurance company’s financial interest is to pay as little as possible. Your interest is to receive full compensation. These interests are directly opposed.
Legal representation rights
Under Georgia law, your insurance company can hire lawyers to represent the uninsured driver’s interests, which means representing interests directly opposed to yours.
Policy interpretation disputes
When coverage is ambiguous, courts often require you to prove your interpretation is correct rather than assuming coverage exists.
Community Impact
The Community Impact of Insurance Company Bad Faith
When insurance companies routinely fight their own customers on UM claims, it undermines the entire purpose of mandatory insurance coverage. People pay premiums believing they’re protected, only to discover they must fight their own insurers when injured by uninsured drivers.
This creates a system where insurance companies profit from loyal customers but abandon them when coverage is needed most. It’s a violation of the fundamental insurance relationship and the community trust that makes the system work.
Common Denials
Common Reasons Insurance Companies Deny Valid UM Claims
Late notice claims
Arguing you didn’t report the accident soon enough, even when the delay was reasonable.
Coverage disputes
Claiming the at-fault driver actually had insurance when they didn’t, or that hit-and-run accidents don’t qualify as UM claims.
Policy interpretation
Finding narrow policy language to reduce coverage below what you expected when you bought it.
Comparative fault
Arguing you were partially at fault to reduce their payment under Georgia’s comparative negligence rule.
Pre-existing condition claims
Using decades-old medical records to argue your current injuries existed before the accident.
Independent medical exam results
Relying on doctors they pay to conclude you weren’t seriously injured.
Specialized Practice
Why UM Claims Require Specialized Legal Help
UM claims are uniquely complex because you’re fighting your own insurance company using your own policy. You need an attorney who understands:
Georgia UM coverage requirements and options
Insurance company claim handling tactics
Bad faith law and penalty provisions
UM policy interpretation and stacking rules
How to counter biased independent medical exams
Medical evidence development for UM disputes
At Gunn Law Group, we’ve handled UM claims against every major insurance company operating in Georgia. Attorney Harrell Gunn founded this firm in Atlanta after earning his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law. We know how insurance companies evaluate UM claims internally and how to force them to pay fairly.
Bad Faith Law
When Insurance Companies Cross the Line Into Bad Faith
Under O.C.G.A. § 33-4-6, insurance companies that refuse to pay covered claims in bad faith face penalties up to 50% of the claim amount plus attorney fees. Bad faith occurs when insurers:
Refuse to pay claims without a reasonable basis
Fail to investigate claims promptly and thoroughly
Mislead policyholders about coverage or claim status
Use frivolous defenses to avoid paying valid claims
Fail to settle within policy limits when liability is clear
Bad faith penalties can turn a $50,000 UM claim into a $75,000 judgment plus attorney fees. These penalties exist because Georgia recognizes that insurance companies have all the power in the relationship and must be held accountable when they abuse it.
Protect Yourself
Protect Yourself Before Your Insurance Company Turns Against You
If you’ve been hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver in Atlanta, anywhere in Fulton County, DeKalb County, Cobb County, Gwinnett County, or anywhere else in Georgia, don’t face your own insurance company alone.
Call 888-BIG-GUNN (888-244-4866) for immediate UM claim protection.
We’ll review your coverage and protect you from insurance company tactics designed to minimize your recovery.
Visit us at 950 E. Paces Ferry Rd NE, Suite 1550, Atlanta, GA 30326. We’ll explain your UM coverage and fight for the full benefits you paid for.
Our Promise: No fees unless we recover for you. Court costs and legal expenses may apply, but you pay no attorney fees until we win. Your insurance company has teams of lawyers working to minimize your claim. You deserve a team working to maximize it. Don’t let your own insurance company betray the trust you placed in them. Get the coverage you paid for.
Atlanta Office
950 E. Paces Ferry Rd NE, Suite 1550, Atlanta, GA 30326
Convenient to Buckhead, Midtown, and surrounding areas.
Norcross Office
5955 Jimmy Carter Blvd Ste 149, Norcross, GA 30093
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