Most drivers in Connecticut prefer to avoid a crash by driving as carefully as possible. Yet, no matter how careful an individual driver may be, they can very easily cross paths with multiple irresponsible people on any given day.
Negligent drivers might break traffic statutes for their own convenience. They might also choose to get behind the wheel without the insurance that Connecticut state law requires. Even though Connecticut actually has one of the lowest-reported percentages of uninsured motorists (as of 2019, when these statistics were last reported) in the U.S., getting into a crash with a single one of these individuals can be a life-altering experience for crash victims.
Roughly 6.3% of Connecticut drivers don’t carry necessary coverage. What can happen if someone gets into a crash caused by one of those irresponsible drivers without adequate insurance?
Motorists in Connecticut may have planned ahead
Connecticut state law actually requires better insurance coverage than what drivers carry in many other states. In addition to basic liability coverage for property damage and injuries, motorists also have coverage for crashes caused by uninsured drivers and underinsured motorists. The amounts of coverage for uninsured collisions usually mirror the liability coverage that a driver carries. Someone hurt by a driver without insurance can potentially use their own policy to cover crash costs. Of course, doing so would mean that they will need to pay more for coverage in the future. Therefore, they may want to take the driver at fault to court.
People hurt in crashes can file civil lawsuits
Personal injury and wrongful death laws in Connecticut allow for civil lawsuits when someone causes a crash and does not have adequate insurance coverage based on the losses generated. The people filing a lawsuit can ask the courts to award them compensation for the full financial value of a wreck, ranging from emergency medical care that could be far more than $25,000 to long-term lost earning potential that could diminish their income for the rest of their lives. A successful personal injury lawsuit will diminish how much people require from their own insurance policies and can, therefore, help limit the long-term financial consequences they have to absorb because of the crash caused by someone else.
Understanding what rights and protection someone has after an uninsured driver causes a collision may benefit those recently hurt in a Connecticut wreck. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to obtain this clarity.