Tips to Deal With Unsecured and Uninsured Motorists

Being involved in a serious motor vehicle accident is stressful enough without having to deal with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. When you’re in a situation like this, things get complicated quickly. Here are some tips for dealing with each of these types of motorists.

Get the Other Driver’s Information

Whether the other person involved in the accident has insurance or not, make sure to get their information. The information you need includes the following:

•    Driver’s name

•    Copy of driver’s license (snap a picture with your phone)

•    Names and contact information for other passengers in the car

•    License plate numbers

•    Phone numbers

If the driver is insured, make sure to get their insurance information as well. Even if the person tells you or you suspect they are underinsured, still gather this information. You’ll need it when you speak with your insurance company.

Call the Police

Anytime you’re in a car accident, it’s always a good idea to call the police. Often, when people are uninsured, they’ll try to talk you out of calling the police. The reason is simple. They don’t want to be ticketed for not being an insured driver. Regardless, you should always have the police come to the accident location and take down an official report of what happened. Police reports from car accidents are used to assign blame and also support any claims made by you or your insurance company that an at-fault driver wasn’t properly insured.

Ask Your Insurance Company about Your Uninsured Motorist Coverage

After an accident occurs, you’ll need to get in touch with your insurance company. While you’re speaking with your agent, find out what your policy covers when dealing with uninsured and underinsured motorists. Many full-coverage policies allow a specific amount of money to cover damages that were the fault of the uninsured/underinsured motorist. Having this coverage saves many drivers thousands of dollars if the driver who hit them isn’t able to pay for the repairs out of their own pocket.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you were injured in a car accident, you deserve compensation for your losses, even if the other person doesn’t have proper insurance. Unfortunately, just because you deserve this compensation doesn’t mean the road to getting what you’re owed is going to be easy.

Often, people involved in these types of accidents end up settling with their insurance company for a compensation package that doesn’t address their future needs. If you were involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, and the other driver doesn’t have the right insurance to pay for damages, why should you be penalized?

Most people don’t want to hire a personal injury attorney because they believe it means they’re suing the person who hit them. In actuality, the injury lawyer works directly with your insurance company to get you a better compensation package. If you need assistance from a personal injury attorney, contact George Stein Steelhorse Law today!