Getting into a motor vehicle accident is already stressful enough without the added burden of being hit by an uninsured motorist. After all, doesn’t California require drivers to carry a minimum form of liability insurance coverage? Not necessarily. Our state has a pretty unique way of insuring drivers, yet some individuals take it upon themselves to forgo their insurance requirements altogether.
If you or a family member experienced severe injury or loss of life by an uninsured motorist in California, you might want to discuss your options with a Los Angeles car accident attorney at Kirakosian Law APC. Contact a member of our legal care team today by calling (213) 417-9790 or via email.
Minimum Liability Insurance Requirements in California
Liability insurance is a product that is meant to provide a cost-effective solution for motorists on the road. It is different than a full-coverage insurance policy in that it only covers damage, injury, or death of the drivers that the policy-holding vehicle hit.
California state laws require that motorists carry a minimum liability insurance policy that can cover the following:
- $15,000 for death or injury to another person
- $30,000 for death or injury to more than one person
- $5,000 for damage to the property of one person
Much to the surprise of many California drivers’ license holders, the state does not require drivers to carry liability insurance. However, the law does require you to demonstrate your financial responsibility for covering accident injury and property damage when behind the wheel.
If a driver elects to forgo their insurance coverage, they can prove their ability to pay for accidents in one of three ways:
- A $35,000 cash deposit on record with the California DMV
- A $35,000 surety bond issued by a California business
- A self-insurance certificate issued by the DMV
So, that means if an uninsured driver hits you, he or she can draw upon one of the other instruments to pay for your medical expenses and vehicle damage, along with additional related costs. But what happens when someone doesn’t have any form of coverage?
Proactively Guard Yourself Against Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists
As of this article’s publishing, 15.2 percent of drivers in California do not possess any form of insurance coverage. That means for every 100 cars on the road, there are more than 15 uninsured motorists folded into the mix.
If this statistic sounds frightening, it’s not our firm’s intent to scare you. Instead, this fact is meant to demonstrate how common uninsured motorists claims actually are.
Since the occurrence of uninsured and underinsured motorists is massive in California, you can preemptively protect yourself beforehand by purchasing a policy that protects you. However, buying insurance against individuals who forgo their responsibilities can feel a bit unfair to individuals, but it may be a necessary element to meet the needs of your personal situation.
There are other means and modalities of pursuing compensation against an uninsured motorist. Let’s carefully examine your potential options in the next section.
How to Recover Financial Losses Against Uninsured Motorists in California
Your best option for recovering financial losses, or damages, against an uninsured or underinsured motorist in California is by working with a law firm that understands the unique issues of these cases.
The definition of an actionable personal injury car accident lawsuit, whether you were hit by an uninsured motorist or not, hinges upon your ability to prove negligence.
This is the aspect of any case that becomes tricky for motorists. Subsequently, many individuals hire a Los Angeles car accident attorney to litigate the details of their situation.
To receive a favorable outcome, your legal team must be able to prove the following:
- The driver that hit you had a responsibility to act with care – And –
- The driver violated that duty of care and caused injury to your body and property – And –
- You experienced financial damages resulting from your injuries
When you can prove those three elements, then it’s likely you have a viable claim. The difference between an insured motorist personal injury lawsuit vs. an uninsured motorist personal injury lawsuit lies within the methodology of recuperating your financial damages.
Hire a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney with Experience
Since insurance money isn’t available, you will need to deploy the services of an aggressive attorney to go after the money that you shouldn’t have to pay. In the meantime, you are stuck with mounting bills that can affect your credit rating and bigger financial picture.
At Kirakosian Law APC, you can take comfort in knowing that our Los Angeles car accident lawyers can help you maximize your recovery dollars, focus on your health, and understand the claims recovery and litigation process every step of the way. Contact our office for an initial case evaluation by calling (213) 417-9790 or submitting a request via our online contact form.
These blogs are meant purely for educational purposes. They contain only general information about legal matters. They are not legal advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter you should consult with an attorney.