Car accidents happen every day, and if you are the unlucky victim of a car accident, you may be in a tough situation. When the other driver is uninsured, it puts you in an even tougher situation. Will you receive compensation? Will he or she get away with it? The following are three tips for dealing with the situation after an uninsured driver causes your accident.
1. Call the Police
The uninsured driver may try to convince you not to call the police. He or she may offer you an amount of money to just keep quiet and move on. While it may seem like a tempting offer, it typically won’t do you any good in the long run. Call the police so you can have an official police report of the accident. Doing this can help you obtain compensation at a later time, even if it ends up coming from the pocket of the other driver after all. Having the police on the scene makes it more likely you’ll get paid.
2. Collect Information
With an uninsured driver, you’ll obviously not be able to collect insurance information, but you should still collect contact information. Include in your notes a description of the car, along with the license plate number. The VIN may be helpful as well, should the driver give you false information.
If there were any witnesses at the scene of your accident, collect their contact information. This could include passengers in either car. These witnesses will help you when you go to court against the other driver.
You should also collect pictures from your accident. Take pictures of the actual accident, any injuries, the cars and the surrounding environment. Write down the date, location and time the accident took place, as well as any other details that may be important.
3. Contact Your Insurance Provider
Your insurance provider will need to be informed about your accident. If you have uninsured motorist protection, that will be the coverage you should seek. Give your insurance provider all the details you wrote down. A claims adjuster will take all the information, as well as collect his or her own information, to determine how much they’re willing to pay.
Contacting an Attorney for Help
You don’t have to deal with an uninsured driver on your own. While you could get money from uninsured coverage, you could also file a lawsuit against the other driver. For help with the entire situation, contact an auto accident lawyer in Canoga Park, CA today.
Thanks to Barry P. Goldberg for their insight into car accident claims and dealing with uninsured drivers.