It is very rare, but every once in a while, our Albany car accident attorneys meet with a driver who was uninsured at the time of their crash. Typically, we are the ones that people call when they are hit by an uninsured motorist. It is not often that we meet with someone who admits that they had no insurance at the time of their accident.
Regardless of whether you were insured at the time, if you were injured in a car wreck, you may be entitled to compensation. The best way to know for sure is to talk to our accident attorney in Georgia as soon as possible after the crash.
We offer new clients a free, initial consultation so that they can discuss their case with one of our seasoned attorneys. We can answer any questions you may have and help give you the peace of mind you need. Here, we will discuss what your options are if you did not have auto insurance at the time of your crash. If you still have questions or concerns after reading this article, feel free to contact us directly.
Georgia Law Requires That All Drivers Carry Auto Insurance
Under Georgia law, you must carry auto insurance. If you plan on driving within the state. Most people are aware of this fact. It is very rare that we meet with a client who did not have insurance at the time of their accident. However, we also understand that things happen, and you may not have been able to afford insurance at the time of your accident.
Some of our clients tell our accident attorney in Georgia that their policy had recently been canceled for non-payment. Others tell us that they were switching to a new insurance carrier and did not realize that there was a gap in insurance.
Either way, some drivers are afraid to speak up if they didn’t have insurance because they’re afraid of getting in trouble. While the law does require you to carry insurance, that should not impact your ability to recover damages if you were hurt in a car crash.
Whether You Need Full Coverage Depends on Who Owns Your Vehicle
Depending on whether you own your car outright, you may be required to carry liability or comprehensive insurance. The difference is quite simple.
If you are only worried about being personally responsible for injuries suffered by another driver, you would want to maintain liability insurance. As long as you own your car and you have no loans or liens against it, you are technically allowed to carry liability insurance by itself.
If, however, you are financing your automobile, then you are legally required to carry full coverage. This is referred to as comprehensive insurance. If you have full coverage, it will cover any injuries sustained by you or the other driver. It will also cover any damage to your vehicle as well as the other driver’s vehicle if you were responsible for the accident.
Can Your Georgia Accident Attorney Prove the Other Driver Was at Fault?
In order to file a claim against the other driver’s insurance policy, your accident attorney in Georgia must be able to prove fault. If you cannot prove that the other driver caused the accident, you may not want to pursue damages.
The reason for this is that Georgia follows something called the comparative negligence rule. Under this rule, a plaintiff is still allowed to collect damages as long as they are less than 50% at fault. If for some reason, the defendant’s lawyer is able to prove that you were more than 50% at fault, you may be found personally liable for their damages.
This is one of the important reasons why we suggest you meet with one of our accident attorneys in Georgia before you take any legal action. If they feel that they will not be able to prove your case, they may advise you to back off and not pursue the matter further.
As much as we understand that you want damages, if there’s a chance that you could be held personally liable for the other party’s medical bills, you have a tough decision to make.
Our Albany Car Accident Lawyers Can Help Victims With No Insurance
If you were recently injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to damages. However, you may be afraid to pursue the matter because you did not have car insurance at the time of your crash. We suggest that you contact our office so you can schedule your free, initial consultation with one of our Albany car accident lawyers.
Even if you did not have insurance, that doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to compensation. Of course, it’s important that your accident attorney in Georgia is able to prove fault or you may be liable for damages. If the defendant is able to prove that you are more than 50% at fault, you could be personally liable for any damages they suffered.
This is one of the reasons why we offer a free consultation to new clients. This gives our lawyers a chance to thoroughly review your case and determine if it’s worth pursuing. We can also give you an idea of what your case may be worth.
Since the consultation is free, and since we don’t charge anything upfront, it’s in your best interest to reach out to our office. Sit down with one of our accident attorneys in Georgia so they can put your mind at ease and help you get the process started.
