Hit by an Uninsured Driver? It’s More Likely Than You Think

Attorney Michael Trauscht | 888-334-0330 | Free Consult

Attorney Michael Trauscht says that up to 50 percent of drivers in his state of Arizona have no insurance. Unless you take specific protections now, you could be facing an uphill battle if you’re severely injured in a car accident with a driver who has no insurance.

Aside from adding uninsured and underinsured protections to your insurance plan, what can you do if you’re in a car accident with an uninsured driver? Your best option is to consult a car accident lawyer immediately. They know the law, and they can help you figure out your best strategy. Do not walk this path alone.

Contact Michael Trauscht by calling 888-334-0330 or by submitting a form on this page to schedule a FREE consultation.

What is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance?

Normally, if you’re hit and someone else is at fault, you would file a claim with that driver’s insurance company. While it’s true that every state requires that motorists carry car insurance, this is not always the case. So what happens if you need to file a claim against someone who doesn’t have any (or enough) insurance?

This is where uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage kicks in. This type of coverage is not required by law in all states, but as most car accident attorneys will tell you, choosing to add them to your policy is a good idea. There are lots of drivers with no insurance on the road, and if one of them causes an accident, obtaining compensation to cover damages can be a tricky endeavor.

These two types of insurance both break down into two types of coverage:

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage coverage (UMPD) can help cover damages to your vehicle if hit by an uninsured/underinsured motorist
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI) helps with medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related costs. Unlike UMPD, this does offer coverage for hit and run accidents.

What To Do After an Accident with an Uninsured/Underinsured Driver

Let’s say you get into an accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver, and you don’t have underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. What happens next?

Part of that depends on what state you live in. If you are in a no-fault state, then each driver’s insurance can help cover that driver’s (and any passenger’s) injury or damage costs. However, this can impact your ability to file a lawsuit.

If your state has traditional insurance laws (a.k.a. A fault state), then the driver who is at fault should be paying for the damages and injuries. However, if the at-fault driver is uninsured, then you will likely need the help of an attorney to recover damages.

That’s why it’s very important to speak with a lawyer who offers free consultations. Each state is different, and each car accident is a unique situation. Call 888-334-0330 or submit a contact form on this page to learn more about your options for seeking recovery.

Video Transcript:

In the state of Arizona, for example, approximately 50 percent, between 30 and 50 percent of the drivers, have no insurance. Even though we have a state law requiring it. So we have a protection in Arizona as most states do now called uninsured motorist coverage. It's only a small fraction of your premium. It's very inexpensive. So on an average typical auto insurance policy, 90 percent of what you're paying is for the liability coverage and that's what covers every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there. It doesn't cover you or your family, so it's very very important to have what's called uninsured motorist coverage.

And then the other item is underinsured motorist coverage, and that's a situation where if you're driving down the road and someone is intoxicated or careless and they seriously hurt you or your family members, your friends, but they have only a minimum policy which in Arizona has been $15,000 per person only, now it's raised at $25,000 recently. Then let's say your medical bills are $100,000. Well you can then acquire the first $15,000 or $25,000 from the driver who's at fault, then you go to your carrier and they control the underinsured motorist fund, so you get the difference there. And by using your uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage, it does not increase your rates. People sometimes are afraid to use it for that reason.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.