Motor vehicle liability insurance protects drivers from the risks of operating a high-speed and heavy piece of machinery in public. A car crash can cause massive property damage or devastating injuries, and insurance will pay for those losses. The person who causes the crash could be subject to financial claims by anyone impacted by it.
Insurance helps minimize how much one person has to pay after a wreck. Of course, the liability for the crash has a major influence on which insurance policy pays for the crash costs. If the police officer who responded to the scene of the crash agrees with your claim that the other driver is to blame for the wreck, their policy should pay to repair your vehicle and cover your hospital bill.
Sadly, some drivers in Nevada will learn too late that the person who hit them doesn’t have insurance. What are the consequences of a collision caused by an uninsured driver?
You could have thousands of dollars in costs
Uninsured drivers are everywhere. Maintaining an active motor vehicle insurance policy costs hundreds of dollars. Some drivers fall behind because of financial issues, like the recent loss of their job. Other people intentionally cancel their policies to avoid paying for coverage.
Between intentional cancellations and negligent financial management, roughly 10.4% of drivers in Nevada don’t have insurance. Those numbers come from 2019, so it is possible that there are more uninsured drivers on the road currently.
You expect to make a claim against their policy, but you can’t do that if the driver or their insurance company has canceled the policy. When the other driver doesn’t have a policy, what does that mean for you?
You will probably need to take them to court
You might have coverage on your policy that helps after a crash. Collision coverage and uninsured motorist protection can cover the expenses you incur in a wreck caused by a driver without insurance. Still, making a claim against your own insurance could increase future policy costs, which ultimately means that you are the one financially suffering because of someone else’s lack of insurance.
Taking an irresponsible driver to civil court can help you recover crash expenses while holding the person responsible accountable for the impact of their bad choices. Learning more about how insurance works after motor vehicle collisions in Nevada will make it easier for you to file a claim and decide about filing a civil lawsuit.