Few people give car insurance much thought after it is purchased. The inconvenience had in getting quotes and finding the right company surely contributes to the desire to not want to think about it anymore than necessary. Hopefully, in your quest to find the best deal you considered the dreaded uninsured driver and purchased adequate coverage. Nothing is a bigger physical, emotional or financial pain than vehicles accidents with uninsured drivers – especially when a loved one shows up in a Winnipeg obituary.
In some states the person who causes the accident pays for the accident. This includes compensation for both damage to the vehicle and personal injury to the occupants of the vehicle. This is a big problem if the person at fault is uninsured. It might be possible to get your insurance to cover damages if the driver at fault cannot, but this is definitely not guaranteed. It is quite possible that the level of insurance you have is enough to only cover damages caused by you. Several minimum coverage policies do not cover damages inflicted, upon your person and property, by an uninsured driver even if it is not your fault.
Certain states split the responsibility of an accident into a percentage of fault for each driver involved. Again, in this case, an uninsured driver is a big problem. Any portion of the accident that is the fault of the driver without insurance stands to go unpaid. The only time an uninsured driver is not an issue is in states where costs from accident damages and injuries are the responsibility of the insurance of the person whom was injured or the owner of the property that was damaged. This seems really unfair to the innocent victim and it is easy to see why this legislation lacks popularity.
Most would agree that it is fair to pay for damages that you are responsible for. The reality is that does not always happen and it is important to be prepared for the unfair and unexpected. Take one last painful look at that insurance policy before you ignore it the rest of the year. Be sure your property and, more importantly, your health are protected from the physical and financial pain of a driver without insurance.