Car Accident Lawyer

The laws of almost every state require anyone who drives a motor vehicle to carry insurance on it. However, there is no way to enforce this law unless the driver has an accident or a run-in with law enforcement. Some people decide to take their chances and drive without insurance. Not everyone gets away with it, and you could get hurt in a collision with someone who played the odds and lost. This is a difficult situation to be in, but there are appropriate ways to deal with it.

1. Exchange Information

You can’t exchange insurance information when the other driver doesn’t have any. However, you can still exchange contact information and get the information about his or her vehicle.

2. Call for Help

Depending on the amount of damage to the vehicle in dollars, the law requires you to call the police. Since it is difficult to determine the dollar amount of the damage, it is safest to call the police in any circumstances. The police report will be valuable to you later when it comes time to file a claim.

3. Resist the Temptation To Accept Money

An uninsured driver may offer you money to forget the accident. He or she may be scared of the legal consequences of driving without insurance. Don’t rise to the bait. For one thing, what the other driver has to offer you out of pocket probably won’t be enough to cover your damages. For another, you enable law-breaking if you accept the money.

4. Take Pictures

Capturing as many details about the accident as possible helps you later when you file your claim. Take pictures of the traffic signs or signals, the direction the cars were traveling, the other driver’s license plate, and the damage done to both vehicles. If you have injuries, it may be helpful to take pictures of them too, if possible.

5. Contact Your Insurance Company

You should do this promptly because some insurance companies require notification within 30 days of the accident. If you take care of it as soon as possible, you do not need to worry about meeting the deadline. Give the insurance company all the information that you gathered at the scene.

6. Know the Laws of Your State

You should have an insurance policy that covers you in an accident with an uninsured driver. If you live in a no-fault state, you file under your personal injury protection coverage, and if you live in a tort liability state, you file an uninsured driver claim. Most states require you to carry one or the other.

Contact a law office with any questions that you have about your uninsured driver claim. A car accident lawyer, like from The Law Firm of Frederick J. Brynn, P.C., may be able to answer them.