If you are involved in an accident with a motorist who has no insurance, the options for recovering losses can be limited. This is because no one will assume responsibility to compensate you for your injuries or damaged property. Although this may seem like an impossible situation, there are some things that you can do to protect your rights and make sure that justice is served.
1) Call the police and make a report
The first thing that you need to do in this situation is to call the police. You will want to get an accident report made right away because it should contain information about who was involved and where the crash occurred. The simple act of making a police report can serve as evidence later on if any legal issues arise.
2) Get the insurance information of all vehicles involved
Even if only one other vehicle was present at the scene, it is still necessary to get hold of their insurance information. This should include policy number, name of insurer, and address where they can be reached for contact purposes. If you can take a picture or video on your cell phone, you can even upload this information to your computer and save it for later use.
3) If possible, take a photo of the other vehicle involved
If you can snap a picture with your phone or camera before leaving the scene, it can be used as evidence later on. Not only will this serve as proof that another driver was at fault for an accident, but it may even help identify who is responsible in cases where they cannot be found.
4) Contact your insurance company
Contacting your insurer is another critical step that you should take if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver. Let them know what has happened and preserve all evidence, including photos or video of the incident, any injury information, and claim forms that will need to be filled out. You can even ask about filing a bodily injury claim to help cover medical expenses and lost income.
In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is essential to protect your rights by taking the appropriate steps. By making a police report, collecting evidence, and contacting your insurer as soon as possible after an incident has occurred, you can make sure that you can recover the compensation you deserve.
5) Contact a personal injury attorney
If you can, contact a local personal injury attorney like the uninsured motorist accident attorney who will represent your interests in court. They can help make sure that all evidence has been collected and there is no room for legal loopholes which could otherwise thwart an insurance claim after the fact. After going through the steps mentioned above, they may even be able to help you get a settlement that is more than just the minimum amount offered by an insurance company.
6) Document your injuries
If you are injured due to an accident with an uninsured motorist, it is important to document this injury. You can do so by taking pictures or video if possible and keeping track of pain medication that has been taken in the aftermath.
