Accidents can be extremely unnerving, but making the situation worse is getting into an accident with an uninsured driver behind the wheel. What is the actual process when the dust settles, everyone is unharmed, and now you are left trying to figure out what to do?

What Happens If The Other Driver Is Uninsured

The sad reality is that many drivers are uninsured. You can pay extra and actually add something to your policy called "under-insured motorist coverage" to protect yourself and be covered no matter what the situation is. However, most people want to lower monthly bills, not increase them, and opt not to purchase this coverage thinking this would never happen.

Should you get into an accident, and find out the other driver is uninsured, follow these steps:

First, assess the situation. Your well-being comes before anything else. Make sure yourself, and any passengers with you are unharmed. After that, you will want to call 9-1-1 immediately and get an officer on the scene. The responding police officer will then begin to record everything he examines, as well as interview you, your passengers if needed, any witnesses, and the other driver involved. This is a critical component when you are in an accident with an uninsured driver because this police report will make your claims process a lot easier, and help with covering your costs.

Step One When In An Accident With An Uninsured Driver:

Take pictures of everything. The street sign the accident occurred on, multiple angles of where the cars ended up, skid marks in the road, and debris, and anything else relevant to proving your case. You can never take too many pictures as these are undeniable proof when proving who is at fault for the accident. The police officer on the scene will also do this, but again doing this yourself is also recommended.

Step Two When In An Accident With An Uninsured Driver:

You might be pretty irritated at this point, but you will want to exchange information with the other driver. Make sure to take down their full name, make and model of his/her car, and any other relevant information. If the accident occurred in a neighborhood and witnesses were present. collect a statement from them, and their contact information. Again, the officer who responded will be doing this as well, but it is recommended you do this also for your own records.

Step Three When In An Accident With An Uninsured Driver:

Finally, you will want to contact your auto insurance provider. If you do have the under-insured motorist coverage, you can begin to actually report your claim. This differs from a regular claim because it will be against your own insurance company. You will want to begin this process immediately as most insurance agencies have strict deadlines on claim policies, especially when they are with an uninsured driver. These claims will take longer to process, but you will most likely get your costs covered.

If you do not have this added protection, you will have a much longer process ahead of you. This process really varies from state to state, and their laws. You will most likely need to hire a lawyer, and attempt to recover your damages. If the other driver can't afford car insurance monthly they most likely won't be able to pay back layers fees, and damages either.

The best way to prevent problems with an uninsured driver is to make sure you are insured no matter what. This way, you will never be at someone else's mercy as to whether or not they made the smart choice and purchased insurance. 

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