The last thing you want is to be in an accident with an uninsured driver. But accidents happen, so it’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in one. In the event that you’re hit by an uninsured driver, don’t panic. Not everyone will be concerned about searching for car Insurance in San Angelo.
Uninsured Drivers Statistics
There are an estimated 27 million Americans driving without adequate coverage for accidents. That’s about 3% of all drivers in the U.S., according to IRS data from 2011-2015. This number is many times higher in some states, with data reflecting that 17% of drivers in the state of New Mexico are uninsured. Some are “underinsured” drivers who only carry liability insurance, which is a fraction of what is needed to protect injured victims from financial loss.
Types of Insurance That offers Protection From Insured Drivers
While there are many reasons why people choose not to purchase insurance, it is clear from the statistics that uninsured drivers pose a serious danger on America’s highways. Regardless of how they arrived at their destination, uninsured drivers put other people’s lives in danger. For that reason, the Motor Vehicle Safety and Accountability Act (MVSA) was passed by Congress to require states to set standards for requiring drivers to carry liability insurance.
Collision Coverage
Collision policies typically offer protection against collision and rust-through for which you might be responsible for paying out-of-pocket. Collision coverage is often paired with comprehensive coverage, which will cover theft and other events not related to a collision.
Collision coverage is a great way to protect yourself against financial loss in the event of an accident. This type of insurance pays for repairs or replaces your car if it is damaged by a collision. Typically, this kind of coverage will pay up 100 percent for the covered repairs or the cost to replace your vehicle with another one like it with similar mileage and available options.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage may provide bodily injury and property damage protection when an automobile collision also involves a driver who lacks sufficient auto liability coverage.
In most instances, uninsured motorist coverage applies if an accident is caused in part by the failure by the driver to maintain adequate auto liability insurance at the time of operation. In general, uninsured motorist coverage applies in such instances as where a driver operates a vehicle that does not have the requisite insurance coverage, or where an accident occurs while the insured is operating without the auto liability insurance required by law.
Personal Injury Protection Coverage
Personal injury protection (PIP) covers you if someone is at fault for an accident that causes injuries. The premiums on personal injury protection are based on the number of persons covered and the severity of each incident. The amount of coverage and its terms are also defined by the state where you live.
Many individuals have made the mistake of thinking that if they were ever in an accident they would be covered by their health or auto insurance plan. This is not always true.
What are the Consequences of Driving Without Insurance?
Depending on where you live, driving without car insurance could have penalties that range from a mere slap on the wrist to fines and jail time. If you are one of the people who would rather risk it and not make any premiums payments, you may get away with it for a while but then your car insurance rates will jump up as soon as an accident happens.
Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and can result in a fine of up to $10,000. If a person is caught driving with no insurance but causes an accident in which another person is injured, or if they cause any other incident while driving without insurance, they can be charged with the crime of reckless endangerment. This can result in additional fines and jail time. In addition, any vehicle that has been used to drive without insurance could be impounded for up to 30 days.
Getting in Touch With a Car Accident Attorney
Before you call and get in touch with an attorney, there are some things that you may want to do to ensure the most positive outcome for your particular case. It’s important that you educate yourself before you call an attorney to represent your case.
Look up the claims of both parties so that you are equipped with all the information possible before meeting with an attorney. This also includes reading various news reports on similar instances to determine if there are any similarities in your accident. Most importantly, make sure that you have retained the insurance company for their version of events in order to be able to properly refute any claims that may be made against you.
Getting Sufficient Auto Insurance
As a driver, it is extremely important to get sufficient auto insurance to protect yourself from financial loss in the event of an incident or accident. Being properly insured also protects your own car and helps cover damages that may result from other drivers’ negligence or carelessness.
If you’re like most people, you may have just the minimum coverage amount that your state requires for your license plate. Although it seems like it’s enough to protect yourself from financial loss if someone is injured or damages your car, it might not actually protect you from everything that could happen.
For example, the minimum coverage amount is often not enough to cover loss of use when you are sued. You could be sued for medical bills or lost wages if you are injured in a car accident, and the legal system lets people sue other people who they think are at fault. Because of this, the minimum amount of coverage may not protect your financial future if you do have an accident or injury.
In some states, legal liability is required for vehicles operating on public roads. This means that your auto insurance needs to cover you for everything from medical expenses to lost wages if you are injured in a car crash. For more information on insurance coverage, you can check out https://sanangelo-insurance.com/
San Angelo Insurance
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San Angelo Texas 76903
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