When you get hit by another driver and pull out your insurance card, you expect them to have a policy as well. If a driver doesn’t have car insurance, what do you do? There are ways to recover damages and you still may be able to sue, but consulting our Monmouth County car accident attorneys should be your first step.
What Should I Do If I Get Hit By a Driver With No Car Insurance?
You should treat this just like any other accident. You should:
- Take pictures of the accident scene and any damage to the vehicles
- Call the police so that they can make a report
- Get contact information for the other driver and any witnesses
- Check your surroundings for cameras that may have caught the accident on tape
- Get medical care as soon as possible.
If you think that you may have to sue for damages, you’ll want to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.
What if a Driver With No Car Insurance Flees the Scene?
Sometimes people don’t pull over after an accident. They flee so that they don’t have to deal with any consequences. This is something that a driver with no car insurance might do, but we don’t recommend trying to chase them down. Instead, take down as much information as you can about them and offer that info to the police. How the driver looks, what kind of car they were driving, and the license plate number, all of that can be helpful.
Can My Own Policy Compensate Me?
The good news is that your own policy can reimburse you for some of the damages caused by an accident. You can use your personal injury protection, or PIP, to pay for medical expenses. You should also have uninsured motorist coverage, which is designed to protect you from an accident just like this one.
You may also have collision coverage. This can pay for repairs to your vehicle regardless of who is at fault. This is an option type of coverage though, so you may not have it if you decided to pare down your coverage and save money on your policy in recent years.
Should I Try to Sue Someone With No Car Insurance?
If your injuries are serious and your own policy cannot reimburse you completely, that is when you would try to sue the other driver. You can still sue a driver who has no insurance, but these cases can be tough. An insurance company has money and can pay out damages. It’s just a matter of negotiating with them.
A driver who carries no insurance may be without a policy because they do not have money. It can be tough to get money from someone who doesn’t have any, and it could certainly take longer to receive the compensation you are owed as a result.
Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer
The best plan is to talk to a personal injury lawyer who can advise you on how to handle this situation. Contact the Wilton Law Firm and ask to schedule your case consultation. There’s no obligation, so take the time to learn more about what we can do for you.
