The thought of getting behind the wheel without car insurance sounds crazy to most. However, a percentage of drivers on Cincinnati roads today do just that, they get behind the wheel without meeting the legal thresholds for car insurance. So, what happens to you, the law abiding driver, when you are injured or your property is damaged in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist?
Since underinsured drivers and uninsured drivers are two different things, there are a few ways in which one could seek compensation after a car accident with such a driver. With uninsured drivers, a person’s insurance often has clauses about uninsured motorists built into one’s own insurance policy. This policy would provide compensation to you as well as any passengers who were in your vehicle at the time of the accident with an uninsured motorist. This coverage allows injured people to recover for injuries, medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses that may be connected to a person’s injury after a run-in with an uninsured driver.
Where this becomes tricky is a person begins to petition their own insurance company to cover damages that were caused by another’s negligence. Sometimes, a person ends up filing a claim against their own insurance company to cover damages caused by uninsured motorists. Underinsured motorists on the other hand, have some level of car insurance coverage, but it is not enough to cover the damages an underinsured motorist is responsible for in a car accident. Either way, those injured in car accidents due to another’s negligence may have legal recourse, whether filing a claim against the other driver themselves, their insurance company or your own insurance company, in certain cases.
While no one wants this situation or the injuries that can happen due to uninsured or underinsured motorists, sometimes it happens. Taking it day by day, paying attention to health and rehabilitation is a top priority. However, those car accident bills won’t pay themselves and if compounded by a loss of wages or inability to work, it can really put a burden on the injured parties.
