Imagine you were driving down the road, minding your own business when another vehicle hit your car from behind.
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You did not see that coming so you quickly confronted the erratic perpetrator and find out that he was drunk.
Not merely was he drunk, but also uninsured, which makes the experience even harsher.
As you are still frustrated about the incident, you decide to take serious actions so as to make sure there is enough evidence to support your case.
However, learning that the other driver was uninsured makes you feel rather confused if not angst about what to do next.
Fear not! Here are key steps you should take once you get hit by an uninsured driver.
#1 Call a police officer
As in any other significant incident on the road, it is advisable to contact the police. Remember that getting involved in a crash with an uninsured driver is a serious issue that have to be solved immediately.
Your goal is to obtain both, a police record and an accident report to reduce the complexities behind the management of claims and any other additional costs that are hard to justify with your insurance company.
Have you considered using your smartphone to take pictures of the incident? You will be able to document your own version through images that meticulously describes the accident and damages.
#2 Be prepared to exchange information
While the police officer tries to gather as much information from the other uninsured driver, you will also need to provide the information required to sustain your case in the future.
You might also learn whether the drunk driver was uninsured as you initially suspected.
In a similar fashion, try to gather information from other people who witnessed the incident to support your case.
#3 Call your insurer
Contacting your car insurance to report the incident is as crucial as calling the police for a report.
Your auto insurance company will be able to examine the extent of the damages and the specification of your policy by pulling out your profile through their records.
Provided that you had already paid for uninsured motorist protection, your auto insurance agent can guide you through the multiple specifications of signing up to this package.
If your policy does not include this type of protection, you still need to talk to your agent and find out new ways to solve your case promptly.
#4 Be mindful about your medical expenses
Traditionally, if you were responsible for the injuries of another driver, your auto insurance agent would refer to your injury liability coverage to save the day.
But, what if the other driver is uninsured? In this situation, you will have no other choice than using your own health insurance to cover these expenses.
Note that in many cases you could still be liable for paying your deductibles out of your pocket.
For that reason, insurance agents recommend drivers to sign up for uninsured bodily injury protection to help them cover additional costs including medical bills and lost wages.
#5 Fix your car
Discuss with your insurance agent about any possible ways to have your car fixed regardless of the status of the other driver.
If you included uninsured motorist property damage protection in your policy, chances are your expenses will likely be entirely covered.
If you don’t have that coverage in your policy, you may have no other choice than searching for other avenues to recover those expenses.
Believe it or not, getting the right coverage depends on how prepared you are to face unexpected situations.
Call your insurance agent and learn more about your policy.
In addition, ask questions about potential packages that could help you be prepared to confront an accident with an uninsured driver.
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