Vehicle owners in Georgia are required to carry insurance that provides coverage of at least $25,000 to pay for personal injuries, $25,000 to pay for property damage and $50,000 for each accident, but the law does not mandate uninsured motorist coverage. However, insurance companies in the state are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage to their auto insurance customers. Both the offer and the customer’s acceptance or refusal must be in writing.
Uninsured driver coverage
This kind of coverage is designed to provide motorists with financial compensation if they are involved in automobile accidents with uninsured drivers. This coverage can also increase the amount accident victims receive when negligent drivers had insurance coverage that was not sufficient to compensate them for their injury, loss or damage. It can even provide coverage when policyholders are struck by hit-and-run drivers either in their vehicles or on foot.
Car accident lawsuits
When drivers are struck by an uninsured vehicle and they do not have uninsured motorist coverage, they can still pursue compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party. In order to improve their chances of prevailing at the negotiating table or in court, drivers who plan to file civil lawsuits stemming from car accidents should contact law enforcement and gather as much information as they can at the scene. Responding police officers will cite the uninsured motorist and ensure that information is exchanged, and photographs or videos taken at an accident scene could give juries a far clearer understanding of how the events unfolded than witness testimony.
Damages in uninsured motorist cases
Experienced personal injury attorneys would likely advise their clients to purchase uninsured motorist coverage from their insurance companies. This is because motorists who drive without insurance may not have the ability to make restitution to the road users they injure. If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, an attorney could run background checks to determine whether the negligent party has the means to pay damages. If you decide to pursue civil remedies, an attorney could seek to ensure that any damages awarded are paid by garnishing the negligent party’s income or placing liens on their assets.
