t Have Proper Insurance Coverage
There is a sort of contentment in driving the streets with auto insurance intact. People with auto insurance do not have to worry about getting in an accident, because they have their protection in effect on their vehicle. But just like there are people on the road that have auto insurance, there are also people around with little or no insurance coverage. If an accident occurs with a person with no insurance coverage or insurance coverage is not proper, it is important to know what to do.
The very first thing that should occur is to notify the police that there has been an accident and that a report needs to be filed. This is a critical step in the process, because it is written evidence supplied by the governing authority that an incident did occur. The police will begin a preliminary investigation by getting information from any parties that were involved with the accident. They will obtain names of the drivers, proof of auto insurance, legal description of vehicles involved, layout of the scene of the accident, any witnesses that might be around and other basic information.
The next step in dealing with someone with less than proper insurance coverage is to notify the insurance company of all parties involved. Hopefully, there is uninsured or under-insured motorists coverage on the policy. If this is the case, then a copy of the police report should be made available to the insurance provider so that they can pursue the uninsured or under-insured motorist. Insurance providers take it seriously when someone has little or no insurance coverage and they know by experience how to pursue those who are guilty of such infractions. The insurance provider will typically pay out to their own protected party anything that is not taken care of by the guilty party's insurance provider, if he has one.
The final step in dealing with someone with improper insurance coverage goes into effect if a party does not have uninsured or under-insured insurance coverage as part of their policy. If this does occur, then the party with insurance will pursue collection of damages on his own without the aid of the insurance provider. The police report will be needed in small claims court as evidence if private collection efforts fail to deliver the costs owed from damages to the vehicle.
If another driver does not have proper insurance coverage, it is not the end of the world. Chances are that one's own insurance company will cover damages, and if not, then private collection efforts can be made. Just remember to file a police report as a practice in these situations.
