I Was Hit by an Uninsured Driver. What Do I Do?

 Posted on April 18, 2017 in Personal Injury

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2017,there was a total of 999 car accident fatalities in the state New York alone. In fact, car accidents are one of the leading causes of death and injury in the United States.Part of the reason people carry car insurance is to avoid costly medical bills and car repairs in the event they do get into an auto accident.

All states require people to drive with car insurance to cover the cost of any injury and damages in case of an accident. New York is no different.If you’re caught driving without insurance in New York, it is considered a criminal offense. All New York drivers must have a policy with the following minimum coverage:

• Property damage - $10,000 per accident
• Basic personal injury protection - $50,000
• Bodily injury - $25,000 per person up to $50,000 per accident
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury - $25,000 per person up to $50,000per accident

Unlike other states that only require insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist coverage, New York actually compels drivers to take out insurance in the event they get into a collision with someone uninsured.

However, while you may be insured against someone who’s uninsured,if you have the minimum coverage possible, this may not be enough to cover the extent of your injuries and damages. If your car was new prior to the accident and cost around $30,000, that $10,000 will not be enough to cover getting a new car. Likewise, if you had multiple passengers inyour vehicle, and your insurance is covering the bulk of the property damage in addition to medical bills, you will run out of money before you know it.

Medical bills can be exorbitant. If the cause of your accident has no insurance,you may be left with no other choice than to sue him or her for the remainder of the damage. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t hesitate to call us. Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC is extremely experienced in helping people and their families obtain justice after being injured. Let our skilled Greenwich personal injury lawyers take a look at your case. Contact us at 203-661-6000 or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation today. Our team is available 24 hours a day, and we help people throughout Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, NY, and New York City. Make sure you’re not paying the price for someone else’s negligence,particularly if they were irresponsible enough to lack insurance prio rto the accident. When our lawyers are retained on serious car or truck accidents, we immediately try to preserve all evidence available from the crash location to assist in the case. Call us as soon as possible so we can get started on your case.