Handling a Car Accident With an Uninsured Motorist

By on December 2nd, 2016

The chances of you being in an accident with an uninsured motorist or an underinsured motorist is higher than you may think. In Pennsylvania, about 6.5% of motorists are driving uninsuredAn even greater number may be driving without adequate insurance or will leave the scene of an accident, meaning those injured in a crash cannot collect from their insurance policy.

The best protection you can buy against underinsured, uninsured and hit-and-run drivers is underinsured and uninsured driver coverage. Your car insurance company offers this coverage, and you can have it added to your protection today.

car-accident

Do I Really Need Extra Insurance?

Many drivers know automotive insurance can be an investment. Premiums can be high, so the prospect of adding to the costs can be daunting. However, it is precisely because insurance is so expensive that you should add underinsured/uninsured driver coverage.

Since insurance costs are high, some drivers choose not to get any coverage at all. If you are in an accident with one of these motorists, you will need underinsured/uninsured coverage on your own policy to get compensation for your injuries. If you are ever in a car accident with a hit-and-run driver, you will need this type of coverage to cover your injuries.

Many Pennsylvania drivers choose to pay for just the minimum coverage. If you’re in an accident, you could end up paying the cost. In Pennsylvania, drivers are required to have $5,000 in Medical Benefits coverage and Bodily Injury Liability coverage of $15,000 per person per crash (or $30,000 per collision) as well as $5000 in coverage for property damage.

If you are in a collision with someone who is driving with such low coverage, you are not likely to get enough compensation to pay for medical care and other expenses. At a time when imaging tests can cost thousands of dollars, $15,000 may simply not cover your bills. The reality is that minimum coverage laws for PA car insurance were set in 1974 and haven’t been adjusted to reflect today’s prices. If you are injured in a car accident with a negligent driver with minimal coverage, you may have to pay for much of your medical treatment yourself.

Even with coverage on your own policy, there is a chance that the insurance company may not offer enough to cover all of your damages. In this case, the best thing you can do is find an attorney who handles uninsured motorist cases.

If You’re in a Car Accident With an Uninsured Driver

If you have extra coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorists and find yourself in a collision or if you find yourself in a hit-and-run accident, you can appeal to your insurance company. Your insurer will likely require a police report, especially in the case of a hit-and-run incident. If you have been injured, you will need to report the accident to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) or the police within 30 days.

Since these cases tend to be complex, it is advisable to get legal advice. If you’d like to speak with an attorney, contact the legal team at Weisberg Cummings, P.C.. Our team represents individuals across the region who have been injured in car accidents. We have worked on many cases involving inadequate insurance coverage and cases where the at-fault driver could not be found. We’d be pleased to offer you a consultation to address any questions you may have.