When you go on the road, it’s crucial to have insurance. But the problem is that a lot of the time, people just don’t have any insurance, nor do they care about that. However, if an accident takes place, that can be inherently problematic. That’s why it’s a very good idea to prepare yourself, because the driver at fault might not be insured in some situations.
How common is it to encounter uninsured drivers on the road?
One might think that people abide by the rules and get the much-needed insurance. However, the problem is that a lot of the time, they are not getting insurance, due to economic hardship, lack of enforcement and other reasons like that. That’s why it can be a very good idea to have insurance yourself. And if the other person doesn’t have insurance, you can still find ways to cover expenses related to the accident.
Underinsured motorist coverage
A common protection that’s available to drivers is the underinsured motorist coverage. This one applies if the at-fault driver’s insurance limits are not enough to cover your damages. For example, if the driver causing the accident needs to cover $30000 in damages, but his insurance can cover only $10000, then the underinsured motorist coverage can help cover that. If you have an accident with serious injuries, this can be a great source for financial recovery, so keep that in mind.
Uninsured motorist coverage
UM coverage is meant to protect you when the driver at fault has no insurance. The idea here is that it can help you cover things like lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, permanent disabilities, wrongful death and so on. UM coverage can be great especially if there is a hit and run accident, and you can’t find the other driver. Without this type of coverage, getting any compensation will be a lot more difficult.
What happens if you don’t have UIM or UM coverage?
Not everyone will have UM or UIM coverage. And in that case, it’s a bit more challenging to solve this problem. But there are a few sources of recovery, as follows:
- The first thing that you can do is to file a lawsuit against the driver at fault. However, that entails the fact that you know their identity and they didn’t just run away from the accident. Talk with the Louisville personal injury attorney and you can figure out a good strategy in order to receive any compensation.
- Another approach you can have in this situation is to identify any additional liable parties. Those can be other vehicle owners, employers, commercial trucking companies, governmental entities or even maintenance providers, among others.
- There are some auto insurance policies that offer medical payments coverage of MedPay. That can be pretty useful because you can easily cover the emergency room visits, hospital treatments and so on.
- You also have the route of going for the personal injury protection coverage. That can be good in the no fault insurance states. That might help with covering things like medical expenses, lost income, essential household services, rehab costs and anything of that nature. Those benefits can be handy when you try to offset losses, so keep that in mind.
Steps to consider when you have an accident with an uninsured driver
When you know that the driver is uninsured, that will surely make things more difficult. But there are still methods that you can use in order to circumvent the process. Thankfully, here you have a list of tips to consider:
- Calling the law enforcement is a great idea, because it allows you to create a record of the collision, and the document can be very important when it comes to liability and your insurance status.
- Gathering evidence is crucial. You want to acquire photos, witness info, road conditions, traffic signals, vehicle damage info and so on.
- Focus on getting immediate medical attention. Not only is this crucial for your health, but your insurance company might not be ok with the fact that you neglected health issues. And that could bring issues when you want to get money from them.
- Report the incident to the insurance company as quickly as humanly possible. Sure, there is a timeline of 2 years most of the time, but in general, you want to report the accident very fast and talk with the insurers. However, don’t accept any blame, nor should you tell that you are at fault.
Conclusion
The truth is that a car accident can be tricky to manage for most people. And realistically, there are always challenges that you will face. But the most important thing is to avoid any rush and fully understand the overall approach. With that being said, having an attorney by your side can make things easier, and it can alleviate a lot of the hassle. However, you also want to know what happens if the other driver is not insured, so you can be fully prepared.
About the Author
