Car Accidents – Insurance

Car accidents are not only personal injury cases, but also involve insurance, especially, if there has been substantial damage to your vehicle or you have suffered personal injuries. Cases can get complicated if the third party is under-insured or in worst-case scenarios, uninsured. According to insurance industry statistics, for every 100 accidents, 14 will involve drivers that are uninsured.

Motorists can buy uninsured motorist insurance, which in some states is actually mandatory. If you do not have uninsured motorist insurance and are involved in an accident with an uninsured third party, your options to recover repairs costs, let alone damages, could be very limited. Of course it is possible to take legal action against the third party, but in many cases such drivers may not have any assets or may be driving illegally.

Over 40 states now require drivers to purchase mandatory liability coverage and failure to comply can lead to fines or even jailing in some states. This type of coverage will give you limited cover against uninsured drivers. The states that have the highest percentage of uninsured drivers are: Colorado, Mississippi, Alabama and New Mexico. If you live in any of these states, it may make sense to purchase additional insurance to cover accidents with uninsured motorists.