Hit By An Unlicensed Driver?
Car accidents are always distressing, whether they are serious are not. Your vehicle probably will be damaged, and you or someone else in your vehicle may be hurt. If the other driver is at fault but has no insurance or not enough, the situation becomes more complicated. You have several options to protect yourself in these situations.
Uninsured/Underinsured Drivers Insurance
You should ask your insurance agent about adding uninsured motorist coverage to your policy. In many states, this type of coverage will cover any medical expenses you acquire from being in an accident and perhaps cover injuries to passengers in your car. In some areas, damages to your car may not be covered.
Underinsured motorists are generally those who carry the state mandated insurance minimum, which is often $25,000 injury or death of one person, $50,000 injury or death of more than one person, and $20,000 property damage. Sometimes, these amounts are not enough to cover the damage to you and your vehicle. In some instances, your collision insurance will cover part of your expenses, but you could well end up paying quite a lot out of your own pocket. You can add coverage to your policy to help protect yourself from these drivers as well.
Car Accident Attorney
A car accident lawyer will advise you on whether or not suing the other driver is a practical step. Often, drivers who do not have insurance simply have few assets, so recovering money from them can be a long and arduous process. However, some drivers let their policies lapse out of carelessness instead of poverty or chose to carry the minimum amount of insurance because their vehicles are old. In these cases, a lawyer may well be able to recover damages for you. Your attorney can find out if the driver has any assets, and, if they do, can file a lien against this property until the case is settled. Hiring an attorney is essential since you won't be able to complete this process on your own.
If you are in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you should contact your insurance company about receiving benefits from your own policy. If you do not have the proper coverage or it is not enough to cover your expenses, you should contact a car accident attorney for help. In addition to causing your vehicle extensive damage, the accident may leave you with expensive medical bills to cover. Often, suing is your only recourse to recovering your financial losses.
