Fortunately, there are ways to recover compensation if the at-fault party does not have insurance. You might be covered under your own policy. You could also file a civil personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible to seek compensation that you cannot get from the insurance company from their personal assets.
In the event that they do not have any money or assets to use to pay for compensation, there are some state funds available in certain states that can provide some relief against uninsured drivers.
If you are involved in a motorcycle accident, you will likely suffer from injuries and property damage. Working with the auto insurance provider of the at-fault party can help to provide you with some compensation to cover medical expenses and fixing your vehicle.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), one in eight drivers do not have auto insurance.
Defining Auto Insurance
There are different levels and coverage options for auto insurance. For instance, some of the common coverage types to know are:
- Auto liability insurance: This is the type of auto insurance the state requires you to have, where it covers the costs associated with damage to the vehicle. The insurance policyholder pays a premium and then a deductible for an incident to be covered.
- Bodily injury liability: This covers the policyholder and family members when they cause harm to other people through an automotive accident. There is a lower state-mandated minimum, as well as optional coverage with higher coverage terms in the event of serious injuries. Policyholders must elect in advance to pay for a higher level of coverage.
- Personal injury protection: This covers the driver and their passengers, not the victim injured in the other car. It pays for medical expenses, lost work, and funeral costs.
- Property damage liability insurance: This type of coverage provides coverage for property damage that the policyholder causes, which could include your personal property that is damaged in a car accident.
- Collision: This type of insurance coverage covers the policyholder’s vehicle in the case of an accident.
- Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage is more thorough than standard plans and includes damage to the vehicle by other events aside from a collision, including earthquakes, explosions, and, in some policies, cracked windshields. If you finance your vehicle with a car loan, you could be required to have this level of auto insurance coverage.
- Uninsured motorist coverage: This protects you in the event that you get in a car accident with an uninsured driver, which can provide you with some compensation from your own policy, even though the at-fault driver is not covered by an auto insurance plan.
- Underinsured motorist coverage: Underinsured motorist coverage is provided by your own auto insurance provider to provide compensation if the at-fault driver does not have adequate coverage for your accident. Not all plans have this, and it is an optional form of auto insurance coverage.
This list highlights the most common types of auto insurance coverage options that are available. However, individual auto insurance providers could provide different options. If the at-fault driver does not have the right type of coverage, the insurance company may not provide enough compensation for your needs.
After trying to work with your insurance company and before accepting any auto insurance settlement, it could be a good idea to hire a lawyer to get an idea of how much you could expect and to negotiate your settlement for you.
Understanding Your Rights
There are many common motorcycle accidents where it is easier to prove liability. For instance, a driver turning in front of a motorcyclist is a common cause of motorcycle accidents. When this happens, you have the ability to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover expenses related to your injuries.
You can even recover compensation related to more complicated accidents, where liability is more difficult to prove. You can hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to help you determine liability and move forward with a civil personal injury case.
Call Us to Discuss the Details of Your Potential Case
These are some of the paths that you can take if the at-fault party doesn’t have insurance. However, you can still sue the at-fault party even if they do not have auto insurance coverage. As the auto insurance settlement may not cover all of your related expenses, filing a civil personal injury lawsuit is one option for getting more compensation to pay for your medical bills and ongoing care expenses.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 223-5115 today to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team at no charge to you.