I Was Hit By an Uninsured Driver: Now What?

I Was Hit By an Uninsured Driver: Now What?

Accidents happen every day. It is estimated that every year, more than 270,000 accidents occur in North Carolina. Drivers are required by law to have vehicle insurance, but that is not always the case. Many people drive without insurance. When someone drives without insurance, they are putting others and themselves at great risk. If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, it is essential to know what to do next.

Uninsured Motorist Insurance

North Carolina law requires drivers to carry insurance that includes uninsured motorist coverage. If you are in an accident that is the other driver’s fault and they do not have insurance, your own insurance policy takes effect. Your medical expenses and other damages should be resolved through your vehicle insurance provider. You should immediately contact your insurance company to report the accident. It is essential to note that utilizing the uninsured motorist coverage of your policy will not affect your future insurance costs. You will need to work closely with the insurance adjuster to ensure that they properly process your claim.

What Happens if Coverage is Inadequate?

Uninsured and underinsured insurance is designed to provide protection for several situations. It is used when an at-fault driver has no insurance at the time of the accident. It can also apply if the driver’s insurance policy was canceled prior to the crash. This type of insurance also applies if you were hit by a driver who did not stop, also called a hit-and-run accident. In addition to being a driver hit by an uninsured motorist, the policy typically also applies to pedestrians who were hit by an uninsured driver or by a hit-and-run driver.

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There may be situations where your insurance coverage is insufficient to cover all your damages. This can happen, for example, if you have the minimum coverage levels required. North Carolina law allows victims to utilize as many insurance policies as are available to them. This means that you may be able to seek payments through more than one policy to collect the necessary compensation.

Working With the Insurance Adjuster

You also need to make sure that the insurance adjuster properly values your claim. As you may expect, insurance companies may try to minimize the damages in order to pay out the least amount of money possible. If this happens, you could be left with medical bills that you must pay. It is often helpful to seek guidance from a personal injury attorney before you talk to the insurance company. Your attorney will make sure that you give a statement and provide information that will not limit your claim.

Seek Compensation from the Responsible Party

In cases where the payment from the insurance provider is not enough to cover your bills, you could take further action. One option is to file a lawsuit against the negligent driver. Before you do so, you will need to determine whether the driver has sufficient assets to cover the damages. An experienced personal injury attorney will help with this step. In addition, there may be other parties who are responsible for the accident. It may be worthwhile to review the accident details with your attorney to determine if there could be another party at fault. This includes the investigation of roads and traffic signals to verify they were working properly when the accident occurred.

If you or a loved one was hurt in an accident with an uninsured driver, call us today at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to speak to our knowledgeable attorneys.

The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.

Source:

https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/insurance-requirements/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_20/gs_20-279.21.html

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https://www.freeimages.com/photo/car-crash-1499104

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