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December 29, 2020 | Car Accidents
The last thing any person expects when they get behind the wheel of their vehicle is that they will be involved in an accident. Unfortunately, crashes are not uncommon in and around Austin, Texas. What can further complicate matters is a crash involving an uninsured driver. If you or a loved one have been injured or sustained property damage in a collision caused by a driver without insurance, you need to know what steps to take moving forward.
The number one priority in the aftermath of any vehicle accident, including a crash caused by an uninsured driver is to ensure that you and your passengers are okay. If any person involved has sustained a personal injury, it is crucial to seek medical assistance immediately. Please remember that the signs and symptoms of many car accident injuries may not be immediately noticeable. Even if you do not feel any pain, schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible so you can be evaluated.
You need to exchange information with any other driver involved. Even if the other driver does not have insurance, you should still get their driver’s license number, name, and vehicle registration number and collect as much information as possible about the vehicle and the other driver. Often, you will be able to get this information from the police report. If you are able to do so at the scene of the crash, you should use a phone or another device to take photographs of any vehicle damage, debris, injuries, causes of the crash, traffic, weather conditions and anything else that could prove to be valuable down the line.
Vehicle insurance is required for drivers to remain legal on the roadway in Texas. Under Texas law, all drivers are required to carry the following minimums:
Please keep in mind that this is the bare minimum that drivers have to have to remain legal on the roadways in this state. It is strongly recommended that all drivers carry coverage amounts above the required minimums. Carrying additional insurance including liability insurance, can help alleviate costs for another drivers property or personal damages.
When you look at the list of required vehicle insurance, you will see that Texas law does not require drivers to carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. When a driver is choosing an insurance company and a specific policy, they will usually be asked if they want to carry this type of coverage, but many drivers opt-out.
If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, the first thing you need to do is look at the terms of your policy to determine whether or not you carry uninsured motorist coverage. Typically, when a person does choose to carry uninsured motorist coverage, it will be for the same amount of coverage that they have for their bodily injury liability limits.
Uninsured motorist coverage is incredibly beneficial in the event you are struck by a driver without insurance or are involved in an accident where another driver flees the scene.
During the latest reporting year in Texas, we know that 256,338 people were injured and 3,610 people lost their lives as a result of vehicle crashes, according to the Department of Transportation. While we do not have exact statistics on how many of these car accidents involved uninsured drivers, a recent survey by the Insurance Information Institute suggests that as much as 14% of all drivers in Texas are uninsured.
If you or a loved one have suffered serious injuries and another party lacks an insurance policy, our car accident attorneys in Austin, TX or our truck accident attorneys in Austin can help recover compensation.