What happens when you are injured in a car crash and the person responsible for causing the wreck had no insurance? This happens more often than you might realize. Sure, law enforcement might issue a citation to the at-fault driver for driving with no insurance. However, that is little consolation to you, the responsible insured driver, who DOES carry automobile insurance. You sustain injuries that require medical care and/or you are out of work because of their driving conduct and all they get is a measly citation. Where’s the accountability? You could go after the uninsured driver personally, however, they may not have sufficient assets to compensate you for your damages. While it might be difficult, if not impossible, to hold the other driver financially accountable, your own policy of insurance might afford you some level of compensation for your injuries.
You need not worry that the other driver had no insurance on their vehicle so long as you had a policy of automobile insurance issued in Minnesota in effect on the vehicle you were driving. Minnesota Statutes require that your policy of automobile insurance coverage includes both Uninsured and Underinsured motorist coverage in addition to your liability coverage. (Minn. Stat. § 65B.49, subd. 3a.) Uninsured motorist coverage is exactly what it sounds like: coverage applicable under your own policy when the at-fault driver carried no insurance on their vehicle.
If you happen to be injured by someone who did not carry automobile insurance, please call our office to set up a consultation to discuss bringing an uninsured motorist claim through your own policy of automobile insurance. Our office has handled many uninsured motorist claims and would be happy to help you bring a claim for those benefits. Please call our office at (218) 481-7181 if you are injured by a driver without insurance so we can get a claim started.