In theory, if your case is worth more than a defendant's liability limits, you may recover the amount by which your claim value exceeds the defendant's policy limits. For example, if the defendant has only $15,000 in liability coverage, and your claim is worth $50,000, in theory you may recover $35,000 from the defendant personally. As a practical matter, however, it is rarely the case that a plaintiff may recover from a defendant personally (because defendant's with significant assets generally carry adequate insurance coverage). Not all hope is lost however; see the discussion on "bad faith" below.