Uninsured Drivers

Introduction

Car accidents can cause major property and bodily damage. There is a possibility that you can be stuck by someone who is not coverage by a car insurance policy. If you own a car, uninsured motorist insurance can cover your expenses in the event of an accident in which the other driver is legally responsible for. Although this type of coverage isn't required, it is a good idea to have for extra protection. Speak to your insurance agent regarding the type of coverage that is best for you(Patterson 3). The risk posed by uninsured drivers is something far from the mind of most people.

Many motorists assume that the people they encounter on the roads are as responsible as they are, and carry the necessary insurance required by state laws. However, this is far from the truth -according to the Insurance Research Council, 1 in 7 at-fault drivers involved in car accidents are uninsured. What can happen to an insured driver who is involved in a collision with an uninsured party? Despite the fact that you may carry regular full insurance coverage, since the at-fault driver is not insured whatsoever, you can become completely responsible for you the damage to your automobile, and any personal medical expenses that may arise from injuries sustained in the accident.

It may be possible to pursue the guilty parties through a civil lawsuit to recoup damages, but since they most likely did not have insurance because they not afford it in the first place, the chances of being able to actually collect any amounts awarded by a court are quite low(www.ehow.com).

Discussion

In California the numbers are astronomical. Statewide, over one third of drivers lack insurance--about 33 percent, according the California Department of Insurance. The figures skyrocket in low-income and minority city neighborhoods: nearly 50%. In San Jose, California, 55% of all drivers on the road have no insurance. Statewide, the problem is worst in the Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Alameda counties. With the exception of Alameda, the uninsured rates in those counties reaches a whopping 90 percent range. Alameda County's worst neighborhood, Oakland, is 63 percent uninsured. Just to put things in perspective(Kanable 12): Statewide, every third car that goes by you - the driver has no insurance. In LA, one of the two cars involved in an accident, one has no insurance(Patterson 3).

Additionally, in the LA basin, you can't even get an accident report by the police unless there's a bloody body or death. That's right. You can call the coppers, but they won't come unless a meat wagon has been called. In the case of my daughter's three accidents, they just told her to exchange information and go on her way; in their eyes she wasn't injured seriously enough to bother. If there is some dispute over responsibility for the accident, you're on your own with only your word against the other driver(Weston 6).

California law requires that motorists have automobile insurance. The bare minimum insurance limits allowed by ...