What if I get into a car accident and I don’t have insurance?
Purchasing car insurance is not only a good idea, but it also is the law in every state for motor vehicle owners to buy property damage liability insurance (PD). Every state except Florida requires motorists to have bodily injury liability insurance (BD), and nearly half of all states require some form of uninsured/underinsured auto insurance coverage. Despite state laws that mandate the purchase of certain types of auto insurance, a surprisingly high number of motorists do not have any type of car insurance.
What if I get in a car accident and don’t have insurance? The short answer is you can expect to pay out-of-pocket for all the costs associated with the vehicle collision. This includes the costs involved in repairing damage to your vehicle, as well as medical expenses such as diagnostic tests and treatment programs. In some cases, the other party or parties that got involved in a car accident with your vehicle might be able to sue you to recover financial losses. You assume full responsibility for paying the costs associated with the awarding of monetary damages.
The key to avoiding falling into a deep financial hole because of the lack of auto insurance or because you purchased an insufficient amount of insurance is to buy the proper amount of coverage. At Morgan and Morgan, we help clients that need legal support after a car accident. Since 1988, our team of personal injury attorneys has recovered more than $20 billion in monetary damages. If you get involved in a vehicle collision without car insurance, we can help you fight back against any type of legal action that seeks compensation.
Schedule a free case evaluation to discover your rights as one of the victims of a car accident.
More answers to commonly asked questions
What Are the Most Common Types of Car Insurance?
Purchasing car insurance places you in a contract relationship with an insurance company. The contract stipulates your financial obligations to maintain coverage, as well as details the legal responsibilities of the insurance company to protect you against financial losses. Buying the right policy for your coverage needs requires you to gain a thorough understanding of the most common types of auto insurance.
Comprehensive
Comprehensive auto insurance coverage pays for the damage done to your vehicle by an incident other than a car accident. Examples of when comprehensive auto insurance coverage kicks in include vandalism, severe weather, and hitting a wild animal such as a deer.
Collision
Collision car insurance coverage pays for the damages or the total value of a damaged vehicle after a motor vehicle accident. The policy you decide to buy depends on how much money you want to cover the costs associated with a motor vehicle collision. The higher the payout for collision coverage, the more you can expect to pay for a deductible. Remember that, unlike health insurance policies, you do not pay an annual deductible for a car insurance policy. You pay a deductible for coverage every time you get involved in a vehicle collision.
Liability
Liability coverage pays for the property damage sustained by another party. For instance, if you hit another vehicle after running a stop sign, liability coverage covers the costs associated with repairing the damage done to the other automobile.
Personal Injury Protection
Also referred to as no-fault car insurance, personal injury protection (PIP) requires you to tap into your own car insurance policy to recover the financial losses connected with a vehicle collision. PIP coverage not only covers property damage but also medical expenses.
Uninsured/Underinsured
Uninsured and underinsured coverage comes into play when you get involved in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist. You might have the right to file a civil lawsuit if you sustained serious injuries that generated considerable financial losses.
What Happens If I Cause a Vehicle Collision Without Car Insurance?
If you caused a car accident without any auto insurance coverage, there is not much an insurance attorney can do for you. All of your financial losses, including lost wages, medical bills, and repairing property damage, come out of your pocket. Depending on the type of health insurance policy you have purchased, you might be able to reduce the financial burden of treating and rehabilitating injuries by tapping into your healthcare plan.
The worst-case scenario is because you caused a car accident, you might have to cover the financial losses sustained by one or more other parties. The other motorist(s) might have uninsured car insurance coverage, but that does not mean the other motorist(s) cannot file a civil lawsuit against you that seeks monetary damages. If you caused serious enough injuries that produced a substantial financial loss, the other motorist(s) can take legal action against you.
Learn more about how to handle a car accident without auto insurance by scheduling a free case evaluation today with one of the experienced attorneys at Morgan and Morgan.