Car Accident and Injuries Caused by an Uninsured Indiana Driver? You Have Rights!

If you drive a car in the Hoosier state, you are required by law to carry automobile insurance. However, experience has taught us that a significant number of Indiana drivers are traveling on our highways and interstates without a legal policy.

How many?

According to the Insurance Information Institute, Indiana ranked as the 8th leading state for the number of uninsured drivers in our country! This amounts to almost 17% of Indiana’s drivers operating a vehicle illegally.

Seeing that Indiana has an unusually high number of uninsured drivers, it is no surprise that our office continues to see these types of car accident claims.

The importance of having proper uninsured coverage on your policy cannot be understated. Without it, you risk being stuck with thousands of dollars in medical bills and a car or truck that is undrivable.

With this in mind, before we discuss filing an uninsured claim, it is important to fully understand how Indiana’s uninsured coverage works.

Indiana’s uninsured insurance coverage

Every state requires residents to carry some form of car and truck insurance, however, the terms of these policies can vary greatly when it comes to uninsured/underinsured coverages.

Indiana requires every driver of passenger vehicles to have the following minimum uninsured/underinsured liability limits:

• Uninsured Motorist (UM): Minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
• Property damage liability (PD): Minimum of $25,000 per accident
• Underinsured (UIM): Minimum of $50,000 per person

Unknown to some, if done in writing, Indiana allows drivers to reject the UM/UIM portion of an auto policy. Boulton Law Group NEVER recommends that anyone reject UM/UIM.

We have talked with accident victims who said they rejected the UM/UIM portion of the coverage to save money, however, unbeknownst to them, the amount of money that they saved amounted to mere pennies. It simply is not worth taking the risk to drive without UM/UIM.

So what happens if you are in a car accident and injured by an uninsured driver? And what steps should you take to ensure you receive proper compensation?

Hit by an uninsured Indiana driver: Next steps.

Contact the local police – You have probably heard about car accidents in which one of the drivers asks the other not to get the authorities involved. They may offer to pay for the damages out of pocket, send you a check, etc.

When someone asks you not to contact the police, it may be because they are uninsured and do not want to face a fine and have their license suspended.

As long as the other person does not become aggressive or threatening, it is advised that you call the local police so that they can make an official accident report. This report will prove beneficial should you need to file an uninsured claim with your insurance company.

Exchange information – When you have been hit by an uninsured driver, they also may be reluctant to exchange information.

However, assuming you do not want to be responsible for potential medical bills and/or property damage costs, it is important to gather as much information as possible as well as take pictures of the vehicles involved.

In the event that the other driver is truly uninsured, this evidence will also prove valuable should you need to file an uninsured claim with your policy.

Ask an Indianapolis injury lawyer to investigate – Boulton Law Group uses a number of tools and official requests to locate applicable policies on defendants.

In fact, we have worked a number of claims in which a defendant told our client that they were uninsured, yet our office was able to find a policy that was in effect.

In short, just because someone tells you they do not have insurance, that may not always be the case.

Additionally, we are often asked if it is possible to sue the defendant driver directly. In 99% of cases, an uninsured driver is very unlikely to have assets that would prove worthy of a lawsuit. It is almost always recommended that an uninsured claim be filed with your insurance company.

File an uninsured accident claim – Because you will be filing a claim with your own insurance company, we recommend that you ask an experienced accident attorney to initiate the claim on your behalf.

Many people assume because it is their insurance company, they will be treated fairly and compensated properly. This is certainly not always the case.

The truth is, the insurance company has its sights set on limiting or denying claims and acting in its best interest at all times. Uninsured claims will receive no special consideration, and in fact, might face higher scrutiny.

If you hire an experienced attorney, they will be able to properly file the claim, limit contact between you and the insurance company, and ultimately see to it that you receive a fair offer for your accident and injuries.

Indianapolis uninsured accident lawyer

If you or a loved one were injured in an accident with an uninsured driver, it is important that you ask an experienced Indianapolis injury lawyer to investigate your potential claim. As we mentioned earlier, there is always a chance that an enforceable policy exists for the defendant driver and/or the vehicle.

Attorney Matt Boulton offers a Zero Fee Guarantee to all Indiana accident victims who need to file an uninsured claim. This means that you will never pay for a consultation, and the only way the firm receives money for its legal services is after we win your case.

To speak to attorney Boulton today, call 317-350-2680. If you prefer to write to us for an immediate case review, you may use our confidential contact form.

We look forward to going to work for you!