Know Your Options: Car Accidents Without Insurance

California ranks 13^th in the United States for uninsured motorists, with a 14.7 percent rate of drivers without insurance. Unfortunately, many of these drivers are involved in collisions each year, whether they are at fault or not. In California, all insured drivers are urged to carry uninsured motorist coverage. If you are in an accident in the state and one party does not have insurance, restitution and resolution can be complicated. In many cases, you will need a Los Angeles car crash attorney to help you navigate your options.

Covering your medical bills after a crash with an uninsured driver

Let’s assume you have vehicle insurance, and you are in a car accident. Let’s also assume the other motorist in your accident does not have insurance. You have several options for recourse and compensation, should you incur any losses.

First, if you have collision coverage, which you likely will, your vehicle repairs will be covered by your insurance. Depending on your policy and the accident fault, you may or may not be charged your deductible. Additionally, if you have medical payment coverage, you will get reimbursed for medical charges up to those coverage limits.

Interestingly, if you have health insurance, your medical bills (minus co-pays and deductibles) might also be covered should the driver at fault be uninsured. Take precautions not to double dip with your car insurance policy, however. If you have questions about the best options for covering these bills after a wreck with an uninsured California driver, be sure to contact a Los Angeles personal injury attorney right away.

You can also file a lawsuit against the uninsured driver. Should you win the case, you will be privy to the assets or monies of the motorist up to the amount you are owed. This is not always an advisable route, as the uninsured motorist may not have appreciable money or assets.

Protect your interests with uninsured motorist (UM) coverage

If you have uninsured motorist coverage as part of your auto insurance, you will be even better protected. While you will have many of the benefits of medical payments and collision coverage, your lost wages will also be covered, as will financial and non-financial damages (such as pain and suffering). Uninsured motorist coverage is a wise investment, as it functions quite similarly to the liability coverage the driver at fault should legally have.

Uninsured motorist coverage claims fundamentally alter how you will interact with your insurer. In these cases, you interface with the insurance adjuster assigned to your case – much how you would be working with the other driver’s insurance company, if (s)he had one. This means that you will be responsible for negotiating your settlement. It is highly advisable in this instance to retain a personal injury attorney, and one that’s experienced in uninsured motorist claims in your state.

In California, you have options for restitution if you are in a car accident with an uninsured driver. If you are in the Los Angeles area, the law firm of Taylor & Ring is experienced, compassionate, and ready to serve you in your time of need. Call us at 310.776.6390 or contact us today for a consultation or more information.

 

Se habla español.