ZIP Code. On The Road. Top Tips for Handling an Uninsured Driver Accident Although a minimum amount of liability car insurance is legally required in most states, there are still drivers behind the wheel without insurance. No need to panic, just follow these tips on what to do if you get into an accident with an uninsured driver: 1.
Gather details Get the make and model of the vehicle involved, time and location of the accident, and the name and badge number of the responding officer. Have the following on hand when you call your insurance provider to make a claim: 1. Your notes from the accident scene Remember all those details you wrote down? Police information Since you did the right thing and called the police, now is the time to provide your insurer with the name of the police department, police officer and the police report number.
What is uninsured motorist coverage? With tort law, the person who was at fault pays for the accident. If that person has insurance coverage, their insurance pays.
If you have coverage for under-insured or uninsured motorists in your insurance policy, your insurance will pay for the damages.
In states with no-fault laws, damages are split between the people involved regardless of who caused the accident. That means you may still need to appear in court. The laws that apply to the accident can get confusing, especially when multiple states are involved.
For example, it may be easier to sue in a no-fault state if you live in a tort state. If you're involved in an accident with a driver who doesn't have any car insurance at all, you'll likely have to turn to your own insurance company to cover your losses. Your best bet is uninsured motorist UIM coverage, which is usually an add-on protection. UIM coverage is only required in a handful of states, while insurance companies are required to offer it to customers by law in most states.
Uninsured motorist coverage usually cannot exceed the amount of your standard liability coverage. Learn more about different types of car insurance coverage. Despite the fact that car insurance is mandatory for registered vehicles in operation in most states, the fact is that there are many drivers who drive without insurance, and the best way to protect yourself is making sure you have plenty of UIM coverage.
Similar to uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage will pay for damages sustained in an accident with a driver who has a car insurance policy in place, but not enough coverage to pay for your injuries stemming from the accident. Your underinsured motorist coverage which is not required in most states, but is always available as optional coverage kicks in and helps cover the difference between the other driver's coverage and the total amount of your losses.
Most insurance companies limit the amount of time policyholders have to make uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist claims often it's as few as 30 days from the date of the accident. So, you want to get the ball rolling immediately after you learn that the other driver has no or not enough insurance.
Learn more about underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage. If you live in a no-fault car insurance state, your own insurance coverage will pay for your medical bills and certain other covered losses after a car accident, so the fact that the other driver wasn't insured might not matter as much. But when the other driver has no insurance, filing a lawsuit can be something of a dead end more on this later.
Learn more about how no-fault car insurance works. Share this on Contact Information John M. Athens, AL Social Media. Newsletter Sign Up Our law firm compiles and distributes a complimentary monthly newsletter that is full of practical information, interesting legal trends, as well as helpful and informative news. Simply enter your email below to subscribe! This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Categories Uncategorized News. Legal vs. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.
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