I Was Hit By an Uninsured Driver: Can I Sue Them?
A car accident is over in mere moments, but its repercussions can be long-term or lifelong. Car accidents frequently result in catastrophic injuries, emotional trauma, and financial losses. When another person or party is liable for a crash, they should be held accountable for related damages. Unfortunately, obtaining compensation is not straightforward if a driver is uninsured.
Individuals hit by uninsured drivers often wonder, “Can I sue an uninsured driver?” The car accident attorneys at Foley Law Firm, which serves Scranton, PA, Stroudsburg, PA, and Wilkes-Barre, PA, work with car accident victims to establish collision liability and pursue appropriate compensation for damages. When an accident involves an uninsured driver, legal options include a personal injury lawsuit against the driver.
Can An Uninsured Driver Be Sued?
Pennsylvania law requires all motor vehicle owners to maintain liability insurance on registered vehicles. Liability insurance covers property damage and injuries caused to others in a crash. Drivers must meet the minimum insurance requirements of $15,000 for the injury or death of one person in a crash, $30,000 for the injury or death of more than one person in an accident, and $5,000 for damage to another person’s property.
Despite insurance requirements, many drivers are uninsured. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, injury victims cannot go after their insurance company for financial compensation. In these situations, accident victims have a right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver. Similarly, if a driver carries minimum insurance requirements that fail to account for the full extent of accident damages, the driver can be personally sued for losses extending beyond insurance coverage.
Is A Personal Injury Lawsuit My Best Option?
While it is possible to sue an uninsured driver for accident damages, that is not always the best option. In some cases, an uninsured driver leaves the scene of an accident before they are identified. An uninsured driver cannot be sued if they are not identified by the police. In other cases, the uninsured driver has no money to pay the injured party. Even if a judgment is made in favor of the plaintiff, compensation cannot be enforced if the uninsured driver has no assets.
There are times when filing a personal injury lawsuit against an uninsured driver is advisable. Our lawyers may recommend suing an uninsured driver if they are known to have substantial assets or if they were working at the time of the accident, in which case their employer may be liable for crash damages.
Other Means of Financial Compensation
If suing an uninsured driver is inadvisable due to a lack of financial assets, there are other ways for drivers to pursue compensation for accident damages. Pennsylvania insurance companies are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage. Drivers who purchase this type of insurance policy can file a claim with their insurance company to collect compensation for accident losses.
Request a Consultation
If you have been hit by an uninsured driver, the lawyers at Foley Law Firm can determine the best way for you to pursue financial compensation for injury losses. To discuss the details of your case with our legal team, send us a message online at your earliest convenience.
