What Happens If You Are in an Accident with an Uninsured Driver?

While being in a car accident can is a nightmare, being in a car accident with an uninsured driver can take the ordeal to a new level. Unfortunately, accidents involving uninsured drivers happen more often than one would like to think. According to the Insurance Research Council, 1 in 8 drivers nationwide is driving uninsured, not to mention 11.5% of Kentuckians. If you do, by mischance, find yourself in this unfavorable situation, being informed on the issue can make all the difference in the compensation you may receive. 

Kentucky Uninsured Vehicle Laws

Although it is required by law in Kentucky for all drivers to carry auto insurance, some fail to maintain it or choose to disregard this law blatantly. Kentucky has two ways in which they ensure the regulation of Kentucky motorists possessing auto insurance. 

1. You get pulled over and have to present proof of insurance to a police officer or
2. When it is discovered that you permitted your auto insurance policy to lapse and are caught by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). 

The repercussions for driving without insurance can include fines from $500 to $2500, imprisonment from 90 to 180 days, registration suspended for a year, and the revoking of one’s driver’s license. For these reasons, it is good to have your insurance readily available whenever you are driving. 

For those law-abiding motorists who carry auto insurance, Kentucky law states that drivers must also acquire uninsured motorist coverage (UM). Be that as it may, uninsured motorist coverage can be forgone. Uninsured motorist coverage is essential coverage on your policy. This type of coverage serves as a safety blanket in case you are involved in an accident where the other driver has no coverage. There is also underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), but it is not required. UIM is the second most important insurance on your policy and should match your UM coverage. UIM protects you against a situation where the other drivers cause you or your family significant injury but do not have nearly enough insurance to cover the damage he/she created. In that situation, you would start a claim with your UIM policy. Then your insurance company would have the opportunity to pursue a claim against the individual who hit you and caused your injuries.

How Do You Get Compensation After an Accident with an Uninsured Driver?

Unless Bruce Willis, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg hit you without insurance, the only way to receive any money in a situation where an uninsured driver has caused you or your family harm is to use your uninsured motorist coverage. You may ask yourself, but why should I have to use my insurance when they were the jerk that violated the law? That is a fair point. However, if your house burns down by accident, would you use your homeowner’s insurance? And if you would, is your health and well-being worth less than your home? Remember, you make the house and vacations possible and if you can't do it anymore, you might not have that house for long anyway. We don’t want that to happen to you.

For most healthy adults, the most likely event that will change their lives forever is a car wreck. This is doubly true when the person who hit you has no insurance. You do have the chance to cover you and your family now by getting a policy for uninsured motorist coverage. Choosing to add this coverage to your policy, especially if you need it, will pay off.  From this point, you would be able to file a claim with your insurance company. While such claims can be challenging to pursue, finding an experienced lawyer to assist you through the process can help you seek the full justice you deserve for your case. 

Contact Us

Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident involving an uninsured driver is challenging. Leave the hard work to us while you focus on getting better, and give us a call. You will receive a 100% free consultation with an attorney, and if we don’t win, you don’t pay us a fee. 

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, please do not hesitate to call Dixie Law Group at 502-305-4654.

Dixie Law Group, PSC – A Neighborhood Personal Injury Law Firm