Car accidents can cause thousands of dollars in losses. Having insurance can help reduce some of those costs, and it provides you with some of the financial support you need to recover. But what happens if you don’t have insurance? “My car insurance lapsed, and I had an accident. Now what?”
To answer this question, our Greenville car accident lawyer needs a bit more information about your case and situation. When you contact Smith Jordan Law, we can provide you with more information and insight to help guide you throughout this process. Here is some information to help you get started.
The role of fault
If you’re in a crash while your insurance is lapsed, you should immediately seek the help of a skilled attorney. A lawyer can guide and support you in obtaining the compensation owed to you, whether you shared some of the fault or not.
What happens when you’re at fault
If your insurance lapsed and you were in a car accident that you caused or you are found at fault for, you may not have insurance coverage. Unfortunately, you may be responsible for the losses you have – and the losses you may have caused to another driver – fully out-of-pocket. You may also have your license suspended and have to pay fees for not having insurance in place.
What happens when someone else is at fault
Another situation occurs when your insurance lapses and you are in a car accident that someone else causes. You may still have your license suspended or have to pay a fine for not having insurance in place, which is levied by the police department.
However, in this situation, you may still have coverage for your losses as long as the other driver’s insurance company approves the claim or you have your attorney fight for the compensation owed to you.
Keep in mind that there are limits to the other party’s coverage, and without your insurance to help further cover the losses, you may not recover all of the losses you have unless you file and win a lawsuit against the responsible party. Our legal team can answer all of your questions about how to pursue compensation from the other driver in a lawsuit if they do not settle the claim.
Hit-and-run during a lapse in insurance
What happens if you are in an accident while your car insurance is lapsed and the other driver is a hit-and-run? If you do not have the information about the other driver and you do not have insurance, you may be facing the need to pay out-of-pocket for your losses. Unfortunately, without any information from the other party, there is no other party to seek compensation from.
The good news is the police will work with you and will aggressively work to find out who is responsible. If you can do that, then that party’s insurance may be responsible for the losses you have incurred.
Let us answer all of your questions about insurance coverage and lapse in an accident
When it comes to getting coverage in place for yourself, make that a priority. Then, let our legal team work with you to get compensation from the responsible party. If you are unsure what your next step is, set up a consultation with our Greenville car accident attorney to discuss your case with us. We are happy to offer a free consultation to you from the team at Smith Jordan Law. Call us today at (864) 343-2222.
