You are driving into work one morning when someone slams into the back of you causing great damage to your vehicle as well as a serious amount of pain through your body. Not only is that a start to a bad day but to make it worse, after stopping and speaking with the other driver, they claim that they have no insurance! It is vital that you understand the proper steps to take if you have been hit by an uninsured motorist.
In the state of Tennessee, it is the law that a person carries a minimum of 25K liability insurance per person and 50K per accident. However, we know that not all people choose to obey the law. In fact, last study revealed close to 24% of Tennessee residents have no liability insurance. That is a one in four chance of being involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist.
What do you do if this happens to you? Here are the steps below:
- Call the Police: Even if it is a small fender bender with barely a dent to your car, call the police. Don’t let the other driver talk you out of doing so to “save time.” It is a necessity for the police to check out the scene, write a report and document all information. Never, under any circumstances, move anything or any of the cars from the accident. The police need to see exactly what the cars look like as a result of the accident.
- Get Contact Information: Always get the contact information from the person that hit you including name, address, phone number and email address. Many insurance companies require that the uninsured motorist sign a statement that they had no insurance at the time of the accident before they will release uninsured motorist compensation to you.
- Contact Your Insurance Company: Call your insurance provider immediately to let them know what has happened. Give them all details and do this in a very timely manner.
- Find a Lawyer: Your insurance company is supposed to support you and do what is right. However, this is not always the case. They are a business and they want to make money. Many have tried in the past to minimize the damages of the accident and hire lawyers to defend the uninsured motorists so they don’t have to pay you as much as you deserve.
For more details, read this article in our knowledge center on what to do if you’re in a collision with an uninsured motorist. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving an uninsured motorist, please contact one of Tennessee’s uninsured auto accident attorneys. At Gilreath, it is our goal to get you what you deserve and for you to be treated fairly! Stay safe out there.
