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UM/UIM Claims
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#### Practice Areas
#### Our Verdicts
## $20 Million Jury Award for Construction Zone Accident Victim
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Gibbs v. Kings Daughter Hospital
## $2.4 Million Verdict for OB/GYN Malpractice
Lowndes County
## $1.5 Million Truck Accident Verdict
Jackson County
#### Testimonials
"Five years ago Cindy Mitchell came to my rescue! My uncle had a surgery where the doctor made some major...
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# UM/UIM Claims
# Skilled Mississippi Lawyers Representing Victims of Accidents Caused by Uninsured and Underinsured Drivers
## Helping injured drivers and passengers throughout Clarksdale, Tupelo, Jackson and beyond
Automobile insurance is a requirement for drivers under the laws of Mississippi. However, almost  without insurance, according to a report by CarInsurance.com. There are also many drivers who are insured, but not to the required level. This negligence can create significant challenges when these individuals cause accidents and injury to others on the roadway.
At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., we know how to effectively handle the complexities of uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) claims. Throughout our firm’s 35 years of legal service, we have helped numerous clients secure compensation for injuries caused by negligent drivers. Our professional Mississippi uninsured motorist lawyers have the skill to obtain the compensation you need to afford the medical costs and income loss resulting from your injury.
## Understanding the challenges of uninsured and underinsured claims
While uninsured motorists drive without any insurance coverage, underinsured motorists carry an inadequate amount of insurance coverage. This is often the case with repeat drunk driving offenders who have been denied affordable coverage by insurance companies due to their risky driving behavior. When these drivers cause , their insurance policies are not enough to cover the total cost of victim injuries.
The prevalence of these negligent motorists on the streets makes it vitally important for you to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under your personal insurance policy. It is meant to provide compensation when an at-fault driver has no insurance or an inadequate amount of insurance.
It is also important to understand that usage of this coverage is partially governed by state law. Mississippi is a “stacking state,” where family members can stack individual UM/UIM coverage. For example, a family with four drivers and four vehicles carries uninsured motorist coverage in the amount of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident. If one of the family’s drivers is injured by an uninsured driver, they can combine the individual coverage amounts for a total available coverage amount of $100,000 per person/$200.000 per accident. Tennessee and Arkansas also allow uninsured motorist coverage stacking.
## Obtaining compensation for injuries caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers
You may assume that making an UM/UIM claim is simple, especially since you are seeking compensation from your own insurance company. However, these claims often become contentious. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and they will employ numerous tactics to deny your claim or offer an inadequate amount of compensation.
With an aggressive **accident attorney** on your side, you can hold your insurance company to the terms of your policy. We advocate on your behalf for the payment of costs, including:
* Loss of income
* Medical costs
* Future medical costs
* Rehabilitation costs
* Pain and suffering
* Property damage
### Trust more than three decades of experience with your uninsured motorist claim
When injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you deserve compensation from all responsible parties. With the reputable attorneys of Merkel & Cocke on your side, you can focus on healing, while we focus on pursuing your legal options. We provide client services from our home office in Clarksdale, where we represent injured parties throughout Mississippi, including Tupelo, ,  , and across the Gulf Coast region. We also handle UM/UIM cases occurring in Tennessee and Arkansas. Call us today at 662-627-9641 or  to schedule a free consultation.
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### Find the best office near me OPEN 24/7
**Clarksdale Office**
30 Delta Avenue
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: (662) 627-9641
**Jackson Office**
2630 Ridgewood Road
Suite D
Jackson, MS 39216
Phone: (601) 653-1103
**Oxford Office**
2084 Old Taylor Road,
Suite 110
Oxford, MS 38655
Phone: 662-236-0080
**Greenville Office**
540 Main Street
ICON Building, Suite 302
Greenville, MS 38701
Phone: (662) 592-3110
**Meridian Office**
406 22nd Avenue
Suite 205
Meridian, MS  39301
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Road Designs
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# Road Designs
# Mississippi Attorneys Fighting for Clients Injured on Dangerous Roads
## Helping you when you have been injured in a car crash because of a road defect
Defective road design is the culprit behind many traffic accidents and fatalities. Defects in the road’s design, debris in the roadway, or negligent maintenance can cause and contribute to traffic accidents and injuries. If you were injured in a crash that was because of a roadway defect, you will likely be dealing with local or state government entities in your efforts to recover compensation for your injuries, which can be complicated.
When you work with the skilled at Merkel & Cocke, P.A., you benefit from our decades of experience helping the injured obtain the compensation they need when they have suffered an injury in a car crash which was caused by a defective roadway, or an otherwise unsafe road condition. We fight for you.
## Examples of road defects that can lead to accidents
There are lots of different types of road defects that can cause , injuries and fatalities, including:
* Missing warning signs
* Defective or missing guardrails
* Dangerous potholes
* Uneven pavement
* Dangerous merge areas
* Poor drainage leading to standing water in roadway
* Missing traffic signals
* Inadequate lighting
* Steep shoulder drop-offs
## Establishing liability in a road defect car crash case
Public roads in the United States are public property which the city, town, county or state government is responsible for designing, building and maintaining. If you are injured in an accident that was a result of a defective roadway, you will most likely have to pursue the respective government agency responsible for the upkeep of the road.
These governmental agencies are responsible for making sure that the roads in their jurisdiction are safe, and where a known hazard exists, there should be warning signs until the hazard can be corrected if it is something that can be corrected. For example, in the middle of a repaving project, the pavement might be rough and uneven. Placing signs to warn drivers ahead of the places where there is uneven pavement gives them the opportunity to be aware of the hazard and prepare for it by slowing down and avoiding the ruts.
Filing a claim against the government is a different process from filing a claim against a negligent driver. For each governmental authority there are special filing deadlines, you must give a certain amount of notice of your intent to take legal action, and there are other requirements that you must meet before you can pursue a claim against a government agency.
When you work with the skilled car accident lawyers from Merkel & Cocke, you can be confident in our combined decades of experience and our successful history of helping countless clients recover compensation for their injuries in defective roadway injury cases.
## Dangerous intersections
The following is a list of five of the top ten most dangerous intersections in the state of Mississippi. These intersections are ranked according to a “danger index” compiled by State Farm, which counts the number of crashes at an intersection, how many injuries and the severity of the crashes. ()
1. S. Highway 51 and Goodman Road – Horn Lake
   1. Danger Index – 1290
   2. Estimated number of crashes – 195
2. S. Highway 49 and Creosote Road – Gulfport
   1. Danger Index – 559
   2. Estimated number of crashes – 98
3. Airways Boulevard and Goodman Road – Southaven
   1. Danger Index – 552
   2. Estimated number of crashes – 84
4. S. Highway 98 and Westover Drive – Hattiesburg
   1. Danger Index – 531
   2. Estimated number of crashes – 70
5. S. Highway 49 and Community Road – GULFPORT
   1. Danger Index – 502
   2. Estimated number of crashes – 71
## Work with a skilled Mississippi road defect attorney today
Whether you were injured in a crash because of a blind intersection, roadway debris or a defective guardrail, you will need the services of an experienced Mississippi  attorney from Merkel &Cocke. We understand the complexities of filing a claim against a government-related entity. We are familiar with the requirements, the time limits and the notice requirements. We are the strong advocate you need when going up against the government when their negligence caused your injury.
### Get help from our Mississippi road defect attorneys
When you have been injured in a car crash, you deserve fair and just compensation from all responsible parties. With the experienced attorneys of Merkel & Cocke on your side, you can focus on healing, while we focus of your claim. From our offices in Jackson, Clarksdale, and Oxford, we assist injured parties throughout Mississippi, including Tupelo and across the Gulf Coast region and Tennessee and Arkansas. You may schedule a fee consultation, call us today at 662-627-9641 or complete our  today.