This Is What to Do if You Were Hit by an Uninsured Driver

It is required by law to have car insurance when operating a motor vehicle, yet over 32 million uninsured drivers still crowd the roads. A regular car accident may be stressful, but it at least has a streamlined process to report and get compensation. What happens if you get hit by an uninsured driver?

Reporting these types of auto accidents is a bit more complicated and requires you to be calm and confident in dealing with the uninsured driver. If you’ve been inconvenienced by someone driving without insurance, read these steps on what to do.

Call Your Local Law Enforcement

As a standard step in any collision, you need to call the police if involved in any car accident. But this step becomes even more critical if the other driver is uninsured. Mainly to report and seek car accident help for you and the surrounding drivers and alert the police of the laws they are breaking.

There are car insurance laws and regulations for a reason, and they need to follow them accordingly.

Do Not Accept Any Money Offered to You

Sure, accepting cash offers may seem convenient, but you do not know the full extent of your car damage or injury expenses. The other driver may offer you a large lump sum to avoid escalation and the fines they’ll have to pay.

Do not under any circumstances resolve the auto accident in this manner. A good auto accident lawyer can get you reimbursed for repairs and medical bills and more compensation than they may be offering.

Swap Information

The other driver may not have insurance, but that doesn’t mean you can’t collect their additional information. Gather their name and as much contact information as you can. They may try to refrain from speaking, but remain calm and allow law enforcement to assist you in getting them to cooperate.

Then when that’s done, be sure to turn to any witnesses and ask for their contact information and statements. This will be useful for later use when collaborating with your insurance and your attorney for further compensation.

Collect as Many Details as You Can

Besides contact info, gather details on the make and model of the uninsured driver’s car. If anything stands out, such as modifications to the vehicle or color, point that out in your notes. That way, the vehicle is easily identifiable should the police require further investigation.

At this time, you’ll want to consider the details of what happened.

How did the vehicle hit yours? What led to the accident? Was any property damaged alongside the road?

Were other drivers affected? The more information you have, the faster you’ll receive the desired outcome.

Use Your Phone or Camera for Pictures

The best thing about modern technology is the access you have to the camera and video footage. If your phone is available, take multiple shots of the cars, VIN number, licenses, damage, and surrounding area. These will come in handy when filing your claim.

Use This Information to Contact Your Insurance

With all the information collected, you can then start the process of contacting your car insurance company and filing a claim. The process of being hit by an uninsured driver is different than the average scenario, so make sure you tell them right from the beginning.

Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand when you contact them.

Insurance Account Information

The first thing they’ll ask for is verification for access to your account. You can pull up your policy number if available. But if not, they can verify who you are through security questions and personal information.

Collected Details

You be asked to submit a detailed report of the accident, so this is where the collected information becomes useful. Be as descriptive as possible, and don’t forget to include the other driver’s contact information.

Police Documents

Since you followed the right steps in contacting the police, this is when you’ll relay to your insurance the ID of the officers on the scene, the name of the police department, and the report number. They’ll use this to follow up on the claim and reference information.

What Happens if the Accident Was in a No-Fault State?

Things can be a bit different when filing a claim for an accident that occurred in a no-fault state. These states don’t require any driver to be directly at fault, so your insurance will have to cover all costs up to a certain amount specified in your policy. Whether the other driver has insurance or not, you’ll file just as you would in a regular scenario.

Invest in Good Representation

Though it may seem like you’re limited to the options for compensation, you do have certain avenues you can go down to seek more than what insurance may offer. For example, you do have the option to press charges and take the driver to small claims court.

If that is the case, you’ll need to ensure that you hire an organized professional accident attorney with a proven track record of winning these particular cases.

Sign Up for Uninsured Driver Insurance

Looking for more coverage? There are many different types of car insurance out there, and some policies even come with additional protection from uninsured drivers.

Take some time to check some local policies in your area. They may be able to help you with your ongoing accident claims.

Don’t Let Being Hit by an Uninsured Driver Burden Your Life: Hire the Best Accident Attorney

Regular car accidents can create chaos in anyone’s life. But when you’re hit by an uninsured driver, the extra steps you have to take can cause delays in getting your life back on track.

Don’t let uninsured drivers get the upper hand. Alpha Accident Lawyers know how to handle these cases on your behalf to get you the highest payout possible. Let us give you the best representation available in your state.

Contact us, or visit our direct website to get started today.