In Alaska, owning a personal motor vehicle and driving it on public roads without at least a specific minimum liability insurance coverage is illegal. You need $50,000 for one person’s injuries, $100,000 for all injuries, and $25,000 for all property damage from a single wreck. Unfortunately, many people drive without proper insurance, even though failing to comply with this rule could result in criminal penalties.
When someone like this causes a car crash through their own reckless or careless conduct, the process of seeking financial recovery as a person injured in this crash can become even more complicated than usual. Fortunately, we could help handle an uninsured/underinsured car accident in Anchorage. Our knowledgeable car accident attorneys do not charge you anything unless you get paid fully and fairly for your losses.
Taking Advantage of Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Drivers in this state must purchase liability insurance to meet the minimum coverage requirements established by state law. This insurance allows accident victims other than the policyholder to recover financially for losses they have sustained in a wreck involving the policyholder. In theory, each involved party could recover compensation through the liability insurance coverage held by the other person or people involved. However, if one person is uninsured or lacks insurance to make up for a serious injury, things can get a lot more challenging.
Uninsured and underinsured drivers involved in Anchorage auto wrecks rarely have much in personal assets to seek as compensation through a civil lawsuit either, so the best bet for recovery is usually uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. All car insurance providers are required by state law to offer this type of coverage up to the same minimum coverage amounts required for standard liability insurance. While drivers have the option of declining this coverage in writing, the small boost in premiums is virtually always worth it in the long run.
Can an Uninsured Person Sue Over an Anchorage Car Crash?
One other thing worth knowing about Anchorage car collisions involving uninsured drivers is that driver’s lack of insurance could affect their right to sue the person at fault for the wreck. Even if another person is 100 percent to blame for their injuries, uninsured drivers are prohibited from seeking compensation through an ensuing lawsuit or settlement demand for “non-economic” damages.
The only scenarios in which an uninsured driver may sue for non-economic damages are if the at-fault driver drove drunk, committed a hit-and-run, or acted negligently or intentionally malicious in some other way. A lawyer could go into further detail about how state law handles situations like this during a private initial consultation.
Consult an Anchorage Attorney About Uninsured/Underinsured Auto Wrecks
Getting into a wreck under any circumstances can be frustrating, but learning that the person who caused that wreck is breaking the law by not having insurance can be downright infuriating. It is important to know, though, that you still may have options for seeking financial recovery after an incident like this and that you have help available from capable legal professionals in pursuing the recovery you deserve.
Uninsured/underinsured car accidents in Anchorage are much easier to handle proactively with a skilled car accident lawyer on your side. Call today to schedule a consultation.