Parker v. Buckeye Union Insurance, Unpublished Decision (5-9-2003)

**Parker v. Buckeye Union Insurance (2003)** This case involved the Parker family, who had car insurance with Buckeye Union Insurance Company. After being injured in an accident with an uninsured driver, the Parkers filed a claim for uninsured motorist coverage under their policy. However, they failed to sue the person who caused the accident within Ohio's legal time limit (called the statute of limitations). The insurance company refused to pay the claim, arguing that the Parkers had violated their insurance contract. Insurance policies typically include a "subrogation clause," which requires policyholders to preserve the insurance company's right to recover money from the person who caused the accident. By waiting too long to sue, the Parkers made it impossible for the insurance company to pursue that person for reimbursement. Both the trial court and appeals court sided with the insurance company, ruling that the Parkers had broken their contract by missing the deadline to sue. **What this means for workers:** If you're injured in an accident and plan to file an insurance claim, pay close attention to deadlines in your policy. Missing key deadlines—like the time limit to sue someone who caused your injury—could result in your insurance company denying your claim entirely, even if you've been paying premiums faithfully.