What Happens If The Other Driver Has No Car Insurance?
I have learned that the person who caused my accident has no car insurance. Does this mean I cannot make a claim for my damages?
We hear this question often from car accident victims. Kentucky law requires that every driver carry minimum automobile insurance coverage; however, many people ignore this law and continue to drive with no car insurance. This places all other drivers at risk because a major reason why we are required to have automobile insurance is to protect others in the event we cause a car accident. Our automobile insurance pays the accident victims compensation for their damages.
When a driver has no car insurance, the accident victims often feel helpless because they must bear the burden of another party’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness. However, this may not be the case. If you have been injured by a driver with no car insurance, you may still be able to file a claim under your uninsured insurance coverage.
How Can I Receive Compensation When The Other Driver Has No Car Insurance?
If another driver causes an accident and that driver has no car insurance, you may be able to receive compensation from your own insurance company through your uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is a separate type of insurance coverage you carry on your own insurance policy to protect you in the event someone with no car insurance causes an accident where you are injured. Your insurance company steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver to pay your damages as if your insurance company represented the at-fault driver. Your insurance company pays for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other compensable damages.
Uninsured motorist coverage is different from underinsured motorist coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage is another type of coverage you can purchase to protect you in the event the person who caused the accident has insurance but the coverage is insufficient to pay all of your damages. You first file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy to obtain the maximum compensation available under that insurance policy. Then you file a claim under your own insurance policy for the remaining amount of your damages that were not covered by the at-fault driver’s policy.
Do I Need An Attorney If The Other Driver
Has No Car Insurance?
Even though you are dealing with your own insurance company, this does not mean that you do not need an attorney. Even though your own insurance company may be paying your claim through your uninsured motorist coverage, it is still in your best interest to consult a personal injury attorney. Insurance companies are, at the very basic level, for-profit companies; therefore, your insurance company will take the same steps it would with any other claim to pay as little as possible on your claim even though you are their insured. It is always in your best interest to consult with an experienced automobile accident attorney before you try to negotiate with an insurance company.
Contact an Experienced Radcliff and Elizabethtown
Automobile Accident Attorney
We’ve Helped Thousands of KY Families, we can help you!
The automobile accident lawyers of Musselwhite Meinhart & Staples, PSC have over 50 years of combined legal experience. If you have been injured in a car accident, our personal injury lawyers can help you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. We represent clients throughout central Kentucky.
Contact us at our Radcliff and Elizabethtown Office in Hardin County at (270) 351-6032 or toll-free at 1-800-754-HELP to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys. You may also contact our office through our convenient online contact form.