A car accident is bad enough, but what happens if the person responsible does not carry insurance? You may feel like you have no recourse if hit by an uninsured motorist, but under New Jersey law, that is not the case.
Uninsured motorist protection is a supplemental policy that you may carry with your insurance company. It kicks in when someone does not have the necessary insurance policy and may cover your damage, injuries and lost wages. Find out more about what you can do if hit by an uninsured driver.
Uninsured motorist coverage in a no-fault state
New Jersey is one of several states that does not assign responsibility to a crash. Rather, each driver goes to his or her carrier and policy after an accident. Since NJ law requires uninsured motorist coverage, someone struck by a driver lacking in coverage should find some relief. However, remember that the uninsured motorist coverage may not exceed the overarching policy limits.
When the policy is not sufficient
A crash may leave an innocent driver with substantial injuries. Some of these may require substantial medical care for months and years following the accident. Thus, the payouts of the uninsured policy may not cover all of these costs. In this regard, the law allows the filing of a court action against the at-fault driver to recover money through a civil court process. The responsible party may have to liquidate assets to pay any damages assessed by the court.
Dealing with a crash is difficult, but when it comes to one with an uninsured driver, further complications may ensue.
