What to Do When You Have Injuries Caused by a Driver Without Insurance

Although drivers throughout the United States are supposed to have some sort of automobile insurance before getting behind the wheel and sharing the road with others, there are some drivers that choose not to follow the rules. If you get into an accident that was caused by an uninsured driver, you might not know what to do.

Nearly one out of every six people that gets behind the wheel to drive is doing so without having any automobile insurance. Those individuals are taking a gamble while assuming that they are not going to get into any accidents.

What Can You Do?

Upon getting into a car accident with an uninsured motorist, you may be suffering from multiple injuries and dealing with some major damage to the vehicle that you regularly rely on to get you everywhere you need to go. Someone must be held responsible for the damages, pain, and suffering you have endured. If you do not have a comprehensive insurance plan that covers the cost of expenses when you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, you are going to have some issues to deal with.

If you have personal injury protection (PIP), the insurance company would likely cover some of the costs, but they are probably not going to cover all the expenses you are going to incur over time. The money you receive from the insurance company is usually not nearly enough to cover the amount of money you will lose from taking time off work to recover from your injuries. However, if you do have uninsured motorist (UM) insurance coverage, you can make sure that all expenses are covered for you.

It is a good idea to have this Uninsured Motorist (UM) insurance available because you cannot predict what will happen when you are on the road with other drivers. Depending on how much UM insurance coverage you buy, you may end up with the same level of coverage you would normally receive if you got into an accident with an insured motorist.

The protection plan provides coverage for multiple scenarios. These scenarios would include:

• Loss of wages due to taking time off work to heal from the injuries
• The cost of expensive medical bills that your health insurance does not cover
• The physical and emotional trauma of everything you have been through during and since the accident occurred
• The cost of funeral expenses if a death takes place

There are limits on these policies and those limits will vary based on where you are located. There are a few states in the country that require drivers to obtain this level of coverage for their own protection.

How to Handle the Situation

If you get into an accident with a driver that does not have insurance, call the police and wait for them to arrive at the scene of the accident. You are going to need to file a police report. The driver may not stop and may decide to flee the scene. Write down the make and model of the vehicle, along with the license plate number and a brief description of what the driver looks like. If the driver does not try to leave the scene and sticks around to wait for the police, gather as much information from him or her as you can. It is also a good idea to take photos of the accident and the damage to the vehicles with your smartphone. Depending on how severe the accident is, you might even need to go to the hospital for an evaluation and treatment.  If you have any doubts about this, it’s always better to be safe than sorry and go to the hospital.

Accidents caused by motorists without insurance continue to rise. There is always the chance that you will get into an accident with one of these drivers. Having the right level of coverage for yourself is the best way to avoid financial stress after the burden of getting into one of these accidents.

Contact a Perth Amboy Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Accident with an Uninsured Driver

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a motor vehicle accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at CourtLaw represent clients injured by uninsured motorists in Perth Amboy, East Orange, Woodbridge, Paterson, and all throughout New Jersey. Call 866-632-4211 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 163 Market Street in Perth Amboy, NJ 08861.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.