Getting into a car accident is never a good experience. Unless you met the love of your life by running into their bumper, you’re never going to wish to experience another car crash. They’re never pleasant and they usually end up costing you an arm and a leg. It’s even worse if you get hit by an uninsured driver. In order to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, it’s a good idea to call and talk to an experienced car crash lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina.
One thing that can make the experience even worse is learning that the person who hits you has no car insurance. At first, they may try to beg off the idea of calling the police. They’ll offer to give you their information and promise they’ll cover any damages caused to your car. There’s a part of you that’s tempted to agree. You don’t feel like hanging around waiting for the cops to come. And you sure don’t want to have to deal with the insurance companies. But no matter how tempting this may be, it’s never a good idea.
If the other driver doesn’t have car insurance, you are going to have a problem. First, you won’t be able to file a claim against their policy. And pursuing them personally won’t do you a lot of good. The kind of person who drives without car insurance is not the kind of person who has a ton of assets you can go after. This leaves you with your third option – filing a claim under your own uninsured motorists fund. The problem with this is that they don’t cover a whole lot.
Since these things can be confusing, it’s a good idea to call an experienced car accident lawyer in Greenville right away. They can let you know what your options are. They can also reach out to your insurance company and find out exactly what needs to be done to take advantage of your uninsured motorist’s policy.
Is it Worth Suing the Other Driver Personally?
If the other driver doesn’t have insurance, you do have the option of suing the other driver personally. And, while you have the right to do this, it’s not always the best idea. Your Greenville accident lawyer can check to see if the other driver has any assets. If they do, then it’s a good idea to file suit. As long as your attorney can prove the other driver was at fault, you may have a viable claim. For example, if they have a house or other personal asset, you can attach them once you get a judgment.
The problem is that, the kind of person that doesn’t carry car insurance usually is the kind of person who doesn’t have any assets. Why is this? Well, most people know that if they get into an accident without insurance, they can be sued. They wouldn’t want to put their personal assets at risk. It would make much more sense for them to get insurance. Of course, there are times when a person truly doesn’t realize they don’t have valid car insurance.
It’s hard to imagine that a driver wouldn’t realize they had no insurance. However, it can happen to the best of us. Let’s say that a person normally has their car insurance payment come directly out of their checking account. They change banks and get a new account. They forget to let their car insurance company know they changed accounts. This means their payments will not be made. Or maybe they’ve recently lost their job and thought they had a longer grace period to make an insurance payment than they actually do. Things like this do happen to regular people all the time. However, the odds of this being the case in your accident claim are slim.
Call An Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Greenville if You Were Hit by an Uninsured Driver
If you were hit by an uninsured driver, you may want to panic. How are you going to afford to pay those medical bills? Especially since you can’t even afford to pay to get your car fixed. The good news is, you have options. Your Greenville, South Carolina personal injury attorney can go over these options during your free initial consultation. Then, if you decide you want to retain our services, they can get started on filing your claims. If any legal action is necessary, they can handle that for you as well.