No one ever wants to find themselves in a car accident. That goes without saying. At best, it’s an inconvenience. In the worst-case scenario, it can have catastrophic consequences.
The last thing you want to find out is that the driver responsible has no insurance. What should you do next? Is it possible to still make a claim for compensation?
Follow the necessary steps as normal
After the accident has occurred, you should contact the police and other emergency services you need if you’ve been injured. Obtaining a copy of the police report will also be useful evidence in your insurance claim where the other driver is uninsured.
Once you’re safely away from the accident, the next thing to do is to notify your insurer of what’s happened.
Minnesota has what’s called “No-Fault” insurance rules, or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. This means you must make a claim through your own insurance policy, first. The role of the insurer is then to help you in putting together your compensation claim based on all the evidence available. The amount of compensation available to you will depend on the severity of the accident and your policy limits.
Taking out extra uninsured motorist coverage at the inception of your policy may also mean you’re entitled to claim more money if your PIP insurance does not meet your needs.
Consider pursuing the driver individually
There’s always the option available of suing the uninsured driver individually. You would make a civil personal injury claim against them for the losses you suffered as a result of the accident – but that’s only a viable option if they have the money to pay or assets to claim. That’s usually pretty rare.
Being hit by a driver without insurance should not mean you’re prevented from claiming compensation. The process is, however, often more complicated and is best tackled by a legal professional with experience in pursuing insurance companies.