What If I Don’t Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage In An Accident?
In the event that your car is damaged by an uninsured motorist, Uninsured Motorist Coverage kicks in to cover damages to your person and your vehicle.
However, if you don’t have UMC within your auto policy, then you would be paying out of pocket for repairs. You also have the option of filing a claim in court against the uninsured motorist.
Which States Don’t Require Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Do you need uninsured motorist coverage? Well, while Uninsured Motorist Coverage is extremely helpful in the event of a car accident with an uninsured driver, it is not required in every state.
Of the 50 states, nearly half of them require insurance companies to offer UMC, but permit drivers to deny it. These states include:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
The remaining states require some combination of bodily injury coverage of at least $25,000 per person and as high as $100,000 per accident.
Some of those same states will require additional property damage coverage ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per accident.
Who Pays If The Other Driver Is At Fault And Uninsured?
When you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist and they’re at fault, you’ll end up paying in all likelihood.
While they may be at fault, because they lack insurance you can’t guarantee that you’ll get the funds from them at all.
Uninsured motorists would have to have the funds available or assets they could quickly liquidate in order to pay for your repairs and/or medical bills.
Realistically, if they had those means then they would likely have insurance. You may never see that money, which is why UMC is important.
What Are My Insurance Coverage Options If I Wasn’t At Fault?
What happens after an accident with an uninsured driver? If you’re involved in an accident, whether or not the person at fault is insured, your first step should be to call your insurance company.
Your insurance provider can inform you on what options you have available based on your policy.
They can tell you whether or not you have coverage for:
- Personal Injury Protection - While neither offered nor required in every state, PIP comes in handy if any of your passengers are injured in an accident. PIP covers medical expenses and lost wages for anyone within your vehicle.
- Collision Coverage - No matter who is at fault, collision coverage repairs the damages to your vehicle. Collision coverage is most useful on newer or more valuable cars and it is often paired with a deductible.
- GAP Coverage - Guaranteed Auto Protection (aka Guarantted Asset Protection or GAP Insurance) covers the difference between the value of a vehicle after an accident and how much is left on the financing balance, whether it’s an auto loan or a lease.
- Comprehensive Coverage - Addresses any damages incurred outside of a collision. Carries a deductible more often than not and great for vehicles with a higher value.
- New Car Replacement - If your new car is totaled within its first few years of ownership, you can get a replacement car instead of just a check for the depreciated value.
- Full Coverage - Full coverages, while a commonly used term, doesn’t mean that you’re covered by every available type of coverage. It means that your policy has more to it than simple Liability Coverage; collision and comprehensive coverage are two that are commonly under the “full coverage” umbrella.
Furthermore, they are the ones who’ll let you know whether you have any Uninsured Motorist Coverage that you can use.
Can I Sell My Car If It Was Damaged In An Accident?
Accidents can be a headache to deal with. Even worse when the person at fault is uninsured and you’re put in a place where you have to come out of pocket for repairs.
Fortunately, DamagedCars handles cars damaged in collisions regardless of who’s at fault. Our online platform makes getting rid of your beat up set of wheels extremely easy.
- Get a quote for your vehicle within 90 seconds.
- Our team of representatives connect you with one of our local partners.
- Your car is towed away within 24-48 hours & you get a check in hand.
It’s as easy as 1-2-3. We’ll handle the cost of towing and title transfers to make sure you get the most bang for your busted-up bucket.
Furthermore, we don’t believe in haggling: the amount you’re quoted is the amount you’ll have in hand when the car is picked up. Contact DamagedCars today and let us help you!