The Uninsured Motorist

There is nothing worse than a car accident. But what happens to you or your loved ones when they are struck by an uninsured motorist? You don’t have to navigate the unknown alone. The best thing a person can do in this situation is to get help.An uninsured motorist may be simply that it is unknown if they have coverage, especially if they flee an accident site. There are a variety of steps to go through, including reviewing your own insurance policy. What you need to understand at this point is that your Insurance Agent is a person authorized by and on behalf of an insurer to transact property, casualty, and disability insurance.You, the policyholder are the insured, so you see no matter how nice the Agent is, or how long the Agent has been your insurance agent, the Agent is acting on behalf of the Insurance Company. The insurance agent does not represent you. The only person representing you is the attorney you hire. Your attorney is your legal representation who will protect your rights.Insurance policies all have exclusions, and they are divided into two parts, which are1) Persons not protected

2) vehicles which coverage does not apply.Persons not protected include those covered by other insurance policies, or those who intentionally cause injury or damage. Vehicles excluded are those that are insured elsewhere, have less than four wheels, or are furnished or available for regular uses of a family member, other than the covered auto.Your best defense is a better offense, or at least, to be informed and prepared. Before you are in an accident, prepare for one. Create a ‘to do’ list, and on that list make sure the following steps are included.1. Get medical help for anyone injured.

2. Exchange information with all drivers.

3. Get contact information for passengers and witnesses.

4. Take photos of the scene with a camera/cell phone.

5. Make a sketch of the accident as best as you can, starting with North/South/East/West and where you were before the accident and where everyone ended up at

6. Only discuss the accident with police.

7. Do not discuss the accident with others involved in the same accident.

8. Get a copy of the accident report.

9. Make a copy of your insurance policy.

10. Talk to a qualified auto accident attorney.The assumption is that you will not be injured to the point of not being able to do any of the above items from the list, but perhaps having given thought to such a thing in advance will enable a clearer sense of what to do should you be involved in a car accident. Even if you can’t do items 1-7, you can do number 8, 9 and 10. Item ten is the most important thing on your ‘to do’ list.