It’s the law that you must have car insurance, but not everyone follows the letter of the law. So now you’re in a car accident through no fault of your own and you find out the other driver doesn’t have car insurance. So thanks to their irresponsibility, you’re now without a car, possibly injured, and unsure what steps you can take against them. Well, this is where contacting a good car accident lawyer can help.
A Metaphorical Fork in the Road
You have two options that you can take in this situation. Option one is you can sue the uninsured driver for damages when your car is wrecked and you’re injured. And suing the other driver is probably the option you’ll gravitate toward, but there are pitfalls to this path.
The uninsured driver probably doesn’t have the money to cover medical costs and property damage. So even if the judgment falls in your favor, you’ll either get little to no money from the uninsured driver, or the judge might not make them pay at all. Because after all, how can someone give you money they don’t have? So this might not be the best option to take, especially if your medical expenses and damages to your car are substantial.
Option two is you can use the uninsured motorist benefit on your insurance policy and file a claim for compensation. This option requires you to file a claim for an uninsured driver with your insurance company as soon as possible because these policies are very strict. This step is necessary, so even if the other driver refuses to cooperate or begs you not to, don’t listen to them. File the claim no matter what they say.
This option is also not without its risks and it can be a long and tedious process, but you cannot let the other driver get away scot-free from causing the accident. An accident injury lawyer would tell you the exact same thing and give you all the reasons why you should file the claim no matter what.
If you aren’t sure which option is the best for you, contacting an experienced car accident attorney is your best option. They will go over your case with you and help you decide which fork in the road to take. After all, you’ve done nothing wrong, so you shouldn’t have to suffer because of another person’s irresponsibility.
