The Road to follow after an Uninsured Car Accident

Being involved in a car accident can be stressful enough, let alone if you find out that the at-fault driver does not have insurance. While many car insurance plans offer uninsured motorist coverage, this is not always enough to cover damages sustained. There are typically two options following a car accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver that you should be aware of before we go any further:

• You can sue the uninsured driver for damages
• You can file a claim for uninsured motorist benefits with your own insurance company

How do you know which route is right for you? For starters, you should sit down with an attorney and go over the specifics of your case in order to make sure you are choosing the right path. In many circumstances, suing an uninsured driver isn’t the best idea, as the driver probably doesn’t have a lot of money or assets. While the court may require the uninsured driver to set up some sort of payment plan in which the defendant will pay you a certain amount each week, this may not be worth your trouble. However, if the lawyer discovers that the driver has any money or assets hidden away, taking them to court may very well be a good option.

Facts About Uninsured Drivers

Before we go over what you should do following an accident with an uninsured driver, let’s look at a few interesting facts about drivers in the United States in general:

• There are approximately 209,618,00 licensed drivers in the U.S.
• Of that number, roughly 28,927,284 are uninsured
• This means that 1 in 7 drivers are uninsured in the U.S.
• The highest demographics of uninsured motorists are males (62%), following by high school students (45%)
• The total annual revenue collected from uninsured motorist tickets is $860.5 million

This should give you a small idea of what a huge problem this is in the U.S. and why it is not uncommon for car accidents to involve drivers who do not have adequate car insurance.

What to Do Following an Accident with an Uninsured Driver?

Now that we have gone over what your options are following a car accident with an uninsured driver as well as a few of the most interesting statistics surrounding these types of incidents, let’s look at what you should do immediately following an accident with an uninsured driver:

• Call the police – As with any car accident, it is a good idea to call the police right away after a car accident, especially if you discover the other driver does not have insurance. Having a police record of the incident will help when it comes to receiving compensation for your damages and it should also make the insurance claims process much easier on you.
• Make sure you exchange information – Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for uninsured drivers to flee the scene of an accident in order to try and avoid penalties. If possible, exchange information with the other driver (name, phone number, address, type of car, etc.) and also seek out information from any witnesses.
• Contact your insurance company – Finally, it is important that you contact your insurance company as soon as possible following a car accident with an uninsured driver. Several things can happen at this point, but it is a good idea to be upfront with your insurer so that they can get the ball rolling in regards to your claim

If you have been involved with an uninsured driving accident in Dallas, please contact Rad Law Firm right away. We will go over your case with you and make sure that you understand your rights and help find the best option for you to receive compensation for your damages.