What To Do If You Get Into An Accident With An Uninsured Driver

There's a lot of different things we worry about whenever we get behind the wheel, including the possibility of getting into an accident. But have you ever wondered about what you would do if you got into an accident with someone who doesn't have insurance?

That's why I decided to talk to Rich Barnes at The Barnes Firm - One of America’s Largest Injury Law Firms - right here in Buffalo. I asked him quite simply: what should you do if you get into an accident with an uninsured driver?

Under New York state law, everyone is required to have insurance when you're operating a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, as we know here at The Barnes Firm from experience, that's not always the case. There are serious accidents that happen and sometimes it turns out that the at fault driver may not have insurance. There are a couple things that people can do to protect themselves in these situations. You can insurance yourself through what's called supplemental uninsured motorist coverage (SUM), which basically takes care of a situation if it is an uninsured driver who hit you. It lets you turn to your own insurance for compensation.

But what do you do if you're in a situation where you're hit by a driver that doesn't have insurance and you don't have SUM coverage? Here's what Rich says:

You can turn to an organization that was formed by New York State many years ago that goes by the initials MVAIC - if you find yourself in this type of situation, where you were hit by an uninsured driver, you can make a claim through them. It's a little bit of a tricky process, though. I usually encourage people to contact us at The Barnes Firm so we can explain what's involved - there is a process that you have to follow to make an uninsured motorist claim through MVAIC. One of the most important things is that you must report the accident to law enforcement. There must be a police report generated so that they can verify that there was an uninsured motorist. Also, there are some time constraints. If it was a hit and run type situation, you must file the claim with MVAIC within 90 days. If it was an uninsured driver who did not leave the scene, you have 180 days.

The Barnes Firm is here to help you.

Visit TheBarnesFirm.com or call (800) 800-0000 and speak with an experienced injury attorney who can help answer your questions. You can trust that The Barnes Firm will help you get the best result possible.

Call their Buffalo office now!