What Happens if an Uninsured Driver Hits You in Louisiana?

What happens if an uninsured driver hits you in Louisiana? If an uninsured driver hits you, you may need to file a claim with your own insurance company. However, a New Orleans car accident lawyer can discuss other legal options available to you.

What You Should Do After an Uninsured Driver Hits You in Louisiana

Knowing what to do after a Louisiana car accident is important to the success of any car accident claim. That importance is intensified if an uninsured driver hits you.  Get the driver’s contact information. Take pictures of their license and the car, ensuring a clear shot of the license plate. 

Take photos of the entire accident scene. Capture each car’s position, the damage to your vehicle, your injuries, the road conditions, traffic signals and signs, and the environment overall. If you notice security or traffic cameras, document their location. If possible, ask businesses to keep their footage of the time surrounding the accident so your New Orleans car accident attorney can request access later.

Ask witnesses for their contact information and request that they describe what they saw. Then, get medical care. The importance of seeing a doctor after a car accident cannot be overstated. Prompt care protects your health and strengthens your claim. Once you have taken care of your health and safety, connect with an attorney.

Why You Need a New Orleans Car Accident Attorney After an Uninsured Driver Hits You

An experienced attorney will investigate your accident to discover its cause and identify negligent parties. Once our team determines the at-fault party or parties, we can file an accident claim against them. We will work to collect convincing evidence to prove their negligence and hold them accountable for paying damages. 

In some cases, the uninsured driver may be the only negligent party. Still, there may be ways to recover your losses. Your attorney can review that driver’s financial situation and potentially file a claim against their personal assets. 

At other times, the post-accident investigation may reveal multiple negligent parties. For example, the driver may have experienced a vehicle malfunction, which could put the car manufacturer on the hook for damages. If a broken traffic signal contributed to the accident, the government office responsible for maintaining those signals could be held at fault. 

Louisiana’s Insurance Laws 

Nationwide, about 14%, or one in seven drivers, are uninsured according to a recent study cited by the Insurance Information Institute (III). Of Louisiana’s drivers, 13.7% lack insurance. According to the rankings for the highest number of uninsured drivers, Louisiana ranks 23rd out of the 50 states.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance (DOI) establishes the State’s minimum coverage laws. To register a vehicle, drivers must purchase “15/30/25” liability limits to pay for damage they cause others in the event of a crash:

• $15,000 for bodily injury per accident for one victim
• $30,000 for bodily injury per accident for multiple victims 
• $25,000 for damage to another party’s vehicle or property per accident

Despite these laws, drivers continue to drive without insurance.  A recent report by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) cites high insurance costs and low median household income as major reasons for this situation.  However, understanding the reasons for uninsured drivers does not help those hurt by these irresponsible vehicle operators.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage Can Help if an Uninsured Driver Hits You

Along with determining whether other negligent parties owe you compensation, our team can look into what your insurance policy offers. Although the State does not require it, some drivers purchase Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage. These policies can provide coverage for injuries you or others in your vehicle sustain in an accident with an uninsured driver.

There are different categories and levels of UIM coverage. Your New Orleans car accident attorney will review your policy with care and guide discussions with your insurance representatives. Insurance companies are businesses, which means they put their own interests first. We will fight to hold them accountable for paying what your policy demands.

When an uninsured driver hits you in Louisiana, any traffic or criminal penalties they receive will not help pay your damages. But do not give up on getting justice. Connect with us. Our team knows how to handle uninsured motorist claims in Louisiana, and we will fight to get you compensated.

Louisiana’s Uninsured Driver and Accident Rates

The IRC report includes other statistics concerning Louisiana drivers. Unfortunately, these data points highlight the problems drivers face, especially when hit by an underinsured or uninsured driver. When compared to the national average, Louisiana has higher:

• Accident frequency
• Repair costs
• Injury-claim frequency

Though the percentage for uninsured drivers is slightly lower than the national average, the percentage for underinsured drivers is 35.6% compared to 15.7%. Underinsured drivers have insurance, but the policy limits are far lower than what victims need to cover their damages.

Supporting Victims of Uninsured Drivers

Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers can help if an underinsured or uninsured driver hits you in Louisiana. We know Louisiana’s injury laws and personal injury legal process. We have experience managing all types of car accident claims, and we operate on core values that put our clients’ needs first. One of our values is to “always fight for the win.” 

No matter how challenging a case may be, we remain solutions-focused. We do not waste time thinking about  “what cannot be done,” but on how to move forward productively. This mindset gives our clients a better experience and has produced a history of positive case results. 

At Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers, We Fight for the Win

When a negligent driver causes you injury, you should not have to bear the financial burdens that follow. The same applies if an uninsured driver hits you in Louisiana. 

Though uninsured driver claims come with more challenges than other car accidents, do not assume justice is completely out of reach. Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers is here to help and ready to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.