- Car Accidents
A good portion of the drivers in Georgia don’t have the appropriate insurance, and that could be the person that hit you. When the at-fault driver doesn’t have the right insurance, whether that be enough insurance or any policy at all, the responsibility of financial elements falls to you. Basically, you’re left in the lurch while the other driver may just have a few fines to pay of their own.
Getting hurt in a Carrollton, GA auto wreck, can leave you with thousands or tens of thousands in medical debt. Not to mention the repairs on your car, and any other lost property in the wreck. So what happens, and what can you do?
Doesn’t Georgia Require All Drivers to Have Insurance?
Georgia drivers and vehicle owners must carry the proper insurance. Not having insurance in Georgia can result in having to spend up to a year in jail and a thousand dollars in fines. But the reality is that this is more of a fix-it ticket where as soon as you prove that you have insurance, it’s nothing but a small fine.
The minimum is bare minimum liability insurance, and it does not require uninsured motorist or UIM coverage. The result is that most Georgia drivers don’t have UIM.
In the end, for many drivers, it’s cheaper to take the fine and penalty than to pay for insurance. That means that the victims of car wrecks that have anything to do with an uninsured driver are left with nothing. Unless they have UIM, these drivers don’t have very many options other than maybe suing the driver personally.
Will I Need to Sue a Driver That Does Not Have Insurance Personally?
Suing that driver personally is an option, but when you look at it objectively, it’s not likely that they’ll cover your damages. Imagine that if that driver can’t afford insurance, then they probably can’t afford to pay your medical bills.
Still, for many people, it’s the only choice available. You can initiate your lawsuit through a Carrollton, GA auto accident attorney. They will file the lawsuit, and then it’s up to the other driver to figure out their legal strategy and how they may handle any compensation award.
What are the Odds of Getting Full Compensation in a Private Lawsuit?
There aren’t outright numbers on this, but you can go through and assume that anyone who is uninsured simply can’t afford to pay you much at all. The judgment against them still stands, and eventually, you may see full payment. But that person could file bankruptcy or just skip out on making payments to you.
What you should is that it will take either a long time to collect or you may not be able to recover the damages at all. Understanding the options and the probability of your receiving payment can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
A private lawsuit is a great way to get started, and if you don’t file it, then you know that you won’t get anything back in compensation. It’s one of those. If you don’t try, you’ll definitely fail moments.
Is It Worth Trying to Go Through Your Insurance?
If you have UIM, then you should definitely go through your insurance because it can be a way to get compensation for things like medical bills. However, if you don’t have UIM, you still need to contact them and file a report. Reporting a wreck with an uninsured motorist is different than opening a claim. In Carrollton, you can alert the insurance provider that you and your vehicle were in a local wreck.
You can explore the options that you might have available through your current policy. Many drivers don’t realize that their comprehensive policies have UIM coverage attached or that they have had it for a long duration of time.
Contact a Carrollton, GA Accident Attorney if the At-Fault Driver Does Not Have Insurance
As a responsible driver in Carrollton, you probably have the minimum coverage of insurance at the very least. In this situation, hopefully, you have UIM/UM coverage, but even then, you might have difficulty making a full financial recovery.
There are some opportunities available to you when you hire a Carrollton, GA auto wreck law firm. Not only will you get access to legal prowess and resources, but you will have someone available to stand up for your needs, rather than the driver who doesn’t have insurance. Contact John B. Jackson in Carrollton to start your case now.