Car Accident Without Insurance
An estimated 6.7 million car accidents occur every year in the United States, an average of 17,000 per day. Every driver should have insurance to protect themselves and other drivers if involved in a collision. But what happens when you get into an accident and haven’t bothered to set up insurance?
If you get into a car accident without insurance, the consequences can be financially devastating for you and your family. A Tucson Accident Attorney can help you navigate these tricky waters with relative ease.
What Happens if You are Liable?
Not only can you get slapped with a fine for driving without insurance, but the other party involved in the car accident may be able to sue you for all of their financial losses.
If you get into an accident that causes serious injuries or death, your legal fees will quickly skyrocket. A personal injury attorney will jump at the chance to represent someone who has been involved in an accident, even if it wasn’t their fault. You can also be sued by the party’s family that was killed or injured for their medical bills and pain and suffering.
Not having insurance is a big mistake on your part because you are putting yourself at risk financially. Not only will you have to pay any fines you get for not having insurance, but you may have to pay out of pocket for the expenses of the party that was injured or killed. Please don’t wait until it’s too late to get proper car insurance coverage.
What Do I Do If an Uninsured Driver is Liable?
If the other driver involved in your collision does not have insurance or assets to pay for damages, you cannot sue them. You will have to file a claim under your coverage with your car insurance company.
While this might seem convenient, it may not be the best option for you because most states only require drivers to carry proof of insurance when they are driving. So unless you can prove that the other driver did not have insurance at the time of the accident, your claim might be denied.
How Do You Get Compensated in Such a Case?
If an uninsured driver is liable for the damages sustained in a car accident, you have a few options. In most cases, you can file a claim with your own insurance company, and they will do the legwork to find the other party’s insurance company so that they can compensate for damages. You could also try going through the other driver or their family to pay medical bills and property damage, but if that fails, you will need to file a lawsuit against them to recover that money.
In summary, a skilled car accident attorney can help you determine which legal strategy makes the most sense for your case. Suppose you are dealing with an insurance company. In that case, they should tell you if another deductible will apply to this accident or whether this is considered a hit-and-run situation.