What if I am injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver?
What happens when you're injured by an uninsured driver and you don't have the proper coverage? You could be paying out of pocket for medical bills if you're injured by an uninsured driver. You may have collision car insurance or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, but you will need to review your policy to ensure you're covered against uninsured drivers.
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Angie Watts
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Angie Watts is a licensed real estate agent with Florida Executive Realty. Specializing in residential properties since 2015, Angie is a real estate writer who published a book educating homeowners on how to make the most money when they sell their homes. Her goal is to educate and empower both home buyers and sellers so they can have a stress-free shopping and/or selling process. She has studi...
Licensed Real Estate Agent
UPDATED: Nov 27, 2023
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.
UPDATED: Nov 27, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- The best means of covering your injuries is with uninsured motorist coverage
- Collision and PIP coverage can provide some financial compensation for medical bills
- You may be able to sue the uninsured driver, but that may prove to be fruitless
What if you are injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver? There is, thankfully, some method of getting the funds you need to get medical help. For further information on the coverage covered in this article, you can check out our guide on the types of car insurance coverage.
What to Know if You Are Injured by an Uninsured Driver
Being injured by an uninsured driver can be a difficult situation to handle. The other driver having no coverage might lead to you wondering who is going to handle your medical expenses.
You’ll want to file a claim, first and foremost, to cover the damages to your property. As to what coverage will be best for damages to your vehicle, you can check out our guide on car insurance coverage.
Injuries are another matter entirely, but thankfully there is some recourse to get the help you need.
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How Insurance Factors Into an Accident Caused by an Uninsured Driver
For injuries to yourself or any passenger in your vehicle, you’ll likely want to have personal injury protection and liability insurance. These aren’t a surefire means of coverage for any injuries incurred, however. If you’d like to learn more about PIP insurance, check out our guide on the best personal injury protection car insurance companies.
In an absolute worst-case scenario, you can also pursue legal action against the other driver. However, this can be ill-advised when considering the factors that led to them driving without insurance in the first place.
The Next Steps After Being Injured by an Uninsured Driver
So after the car accident, provided you have the right coverage, what comes next? When you are physically able to, you’ll need to file a claim. For more information on the process, you can check our guide on how to file a car insurance claim.
As with any insurance claim, you’ll want to gather detailed information regarding the damage to your vehicle, injuries you’ve incurred, and an accurate accounting of the timeline of the accident itself. At no point should you admit fault. That is for law enforcement and your insurance company to discern.
Uninsured motorist car insurance is going to be your best for covering any injuries and damages, though there is some limited viability of the coverage provided with collision and PIP.
To make sure your claim covers everything you need, it helps to have PIP, collision, and uninsured motorist already on your policy.
Read more: Does my car insurance cover damage caused by an uninsured driver if I have collision coverage?
Case Studies: Injuries Caused by Uninsured Drivers
Case Study 1: Insufficient Coverage for Medical Expenses
John was involved in a car accident caused by an uninsured driver. Unfortunately, John did not have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on his policy. As a result, he was left to pay for his medical expenses out of pocket. This case highlights the importance of reviewing your policy and ensuring you have the necessary coverage to protect against uninsured drivers.
Case Study 2: Utilizing Personal Injury Protection Coverage
Sarah had personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on her car insurance policy. When she was injured by an uninsured driver, her PIP coverage helped cover her medical expenses. Sarah was relieved to have this additional coverage, which provided the financial support she needed to recover from her injuries.
Case Study 3: Pursuing Legal Action
Alex was injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. Despite having uninsured motorist coverage, the coverage limits were not sufficient to cover all of his medical expenses. In this situation, Alex decided to pursue legal action against the uninsured driver to seek additional compensation.
However, he faced challenges in receiving the financial award, considering the driver’s lack of insurance.
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The Last Word on Being Injured in an Accident Caused by an Uninsured Driver
What if you’re injured in an accident caused by an uninsured driver? You thankfully have some means to get the financial help you need. More usual forms of insurance, like collision, can be applicable to the accident.
However, the most sure-fire means of coverage is provided through uninsured motorist car insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does comprehensive car insurance cover personal injuries by an uninsured driver?
While comprehensive covers many non-accident related incidents, it does not provide financial compensation for medical bills in the event of an uninsured driver. You might have full coverage car insurance, in which case that will help to offset some of the medical costs.
You will need to check with your insurance company to discern if an uninsured motorist or PIP insurance is provided by full coverage, however.
Will collision car insurance cover my injuries?
It can to some extent, but the coverage provided may be super limited. You will need to check with your car insurance company to figure out if there are protections extended in the event of an uninsured driver causing an accident.
As previously stated, uninsured motorist car insurance is going to be your best bet for having ample coverage for any accident.
Can I pursue legal action against the other driver?
You could very easily build and pursue a case against the other driver. That said, you may find the outcome less than desirable.
While you may win the case, getting the financial award bestowed by the verdict may be a far more difficult proposition. You’ll need to weigh the benefits of pursuing a case against the reality of the situation itself.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
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Angie Watts
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Angie Watts is a licensed real estate agent with Florida Executive Realty. Specializing in residential properties since 2015, Angie is a real estate writer who published a book educating homeowners on how to make the most money when they sell their homes. Her goal is to educate and empower both home buyers and sellers so they can have a stress-free shopping and/or selling process. She has studi...
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.