If you or your family member have been involved in an accident, it is customary to exchange insurance details. You would expect the driver at fault to compensate you for the damages, and claiming for this compensation is usually straightforward.
This is because all states except New Hampshire require drivers to carry liability insurance by law. Some go further to require uninsured motorist coverage with your auto insurance but the state of Georgia doesn’t.
Who Qualifies As an Uninsured Motorist?
Uninsured motorists are individuals who do not have any motor vehicle insurance coverage. In Georgia, it is illegal to drive without liability insurance. However, as with any law, not every car owner satisfies this requirement. Statistics show that in the state of Georgia, one in every eight motorists still drive without auto insurance.
An uninsured motorist can also sometimes refer to motorists who do not have enough coverage under their policy to cover the victims of an accident. In both cases, it is still possible to claim compensation from your insurer. But only if you have uninsured motorist coverage included in your policy.
Get the strong arm
How Auto Insurance Works in Morrow
Georgia state law outlines that all motor vehicle owners should hold a liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $25,000 per person and a maximum of $50,000 per accident. Because of this, most drivers carry the bare minimum as required by the law.
While you could expect that high-risk drivers would be flagged and have their premiums increased, it mostly never happens. This means that if you get into an accident with a high risk or negligent driver, you will quickly exhaust the minimum policy limits and be left uncovered.
Notwithstanding the severity of your injuries and costs of treatment, your claim is limited to maximum policy limits. Here, $25,000 per individual. You cannot recover any more funds from the liability carrier of the driver at fault.
Fault vs. No-Fault States
The state you live in determines how the insurance case will be handled. In at-fault states, the viability carrier(insurance) for the at-fault party is held liable for any damages coming from their policyholder. This is a more traditional approach, but also means that if the individual is uninsured, there will be no insurance company to claim damages from, and the victim may be forced to pay for damages out of pocket.
In such cases, having uninsured motorist coverage is highly advisable, since there are no guarantees compensation would be given even if they sued the uninsured motorist. Georgia practices such a system. Therefore, in an accident, you need to establish beyond doubt to your insurer that the other party was at fault.
Things are much different in a no-fault state. Regardless of who caused the incident, the injured will have to go back to their insurer for compensation. Victims in such states cannot sue an at-fault uninsured driver unless certain conditions regarding the severity of injuries sustained and damages are satisfied.
Hit-and-Run Accidents with Uninsured Motorists in Morrow
If you are in a hit-and-run accident with an uninsured motorist in Morrow, you could be in a nightmare situation if you haven’t subscribed to uninsured motorist coverage.
You may suffer from being in an accident, but you could be affected more by having to foot your medical bills and damages. This could quickly turn into an expensive affair depending on the severity of the injuries or damage. You might also need hospitalization, specialized treatment and care, or lost income in the process just to throw in more complications.
What to Do After Being in an Accident with an Uninsured Motorist in Morrow
The best outcome for your compensation when in an accident with an uninsured motorist in Georgia relies heavily on establishing who was at fault. Here are several critical steps to follow in such situations:
Call the Police
It is always better to get the intervention of a police officer. They will help maintain order on the scene and also help you out with establishing liability. Regardless of how minor the damages or the injuries are, getting the police record of the event is an important document when filing your insurance claim.
Take Enough Pictures
Pictures store more information than you may see at a glance. Taking a detailed picture of the damage, accident scene, and injuries could provide vital information when filing the claim or suing.
Gather Information
Gathering information from the uninsured motorist, i.e., name, phone, address, car license number, and other relevant information will make proceeding steps easier for you. On the scene, make a point of collecting information for witnesses and first responders before details get fuzzy.
How an Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer in Morrow Can Help Your Case
Indeed, claiming is intricate and requires extensive knowledge and experience on the subject for a successful outcome. That’s why you need an experienced legal team to maximize recovery from uninsured motorists.
Having arbitrated hundreds of similar uninsured motorist claims, we understand the intricacies of the processes and their execution and our record shows timely and successful conclusions to these cases. We understand that the impact of car accidents differs across families. As a result, we will help you pursue the accident claims you want to pursue, including:
- Coverage of existing and reasonably expected future medical bills, including the cost of medication, surgery, and therapy
- Lost income from hours missed due to hospitalization, incapacitation, or therapy appointments
- Hardships resulting in reduced earning capacity
- Cost of hiring caregivers
- Emotional and physical pain
- Funeral and final rites for fatalities.
Take Action on Time
Always notify your car insurance provider about an accident you are involved in as soon as possible. Most insurance companies insert clauses into the policies that ask for timely notification, else the claim may be denied.
The State of Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations for injury-related cases filed in the state civil court system. Prompt action in reporting, filing for claims, or suing could be the difference between getting your claim or being denied. With the statute of limitations also in place, you can count on a Morrow uninsured motorist accident lawyer to get your claim filed before then.
Get Help from a Morrow Uninsured Motorist Accident Attorney Today
You do not have to worry about pursuing an insurance claim alone. A reputable uninsured motorist attorney in Morrow will:
- Build a strong personal injury lawsuit
- Design a strategy to help you fight for maximum compensation
- Handle communications between the insurance company, defendant, and defendant’s lawyer
Don’t suffer in silence. If you have been in an accident with an uninsured motorist. If you are feeling traumatized, living uncomfortably, or are deep in medical bills, reach out to John Foy to fight for your settlement.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form