Under Alabama laws, vehicle drivers must carry automobile insurance to cover liabilities for bodily injuries, property damage and death in the event of vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, even if this is mandatory, some drivers fail to carry insurance, or they do but the coverage does not meet the limit required by the law. So, what can a car crash victim do if the driver at fault is uninsured or underinsured?

Here are some options you can take if you are seeking compensation for a vehicle collision with an uninsured or underinsured at-fault driver.

Filing A Claim With Your Insurance Company

Automobile insurance companies have a coverage option called uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance which covers car accident-related expenses wherein the driver at fault has insufficient coverage or totally lacks it. While Alabama requires insurance companies to offer this option to drivers, the latter can reject it since the law does not mandate them to avail of it.

If you have this coverage prior to the crash, you can make a claim from your own insurance company to cover medical and property damage costs.

Suing The Driver At Fault

Just because the driver at fault does not have insurance does not mean it prevents victims from recovering monetary damages against them. Victims can still go after them even if they lack insurance coverage by filing a personal injury lawsuit against them. If the lawsuit is successful, the award will come from the guilty driver’s financial assets.

There Is Still Hope

Vehicle accidents bring complicated challenges to the lives of those involved. These challenges include physical, emotional and financial burdens. Victims may feel additional stress if they find that the driver responsible lacks sufficient insurance coverage. Fortunately, other options are available for seeking compensation.