Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

What if the driver who killed your loved one is uninsured?

On Behalf of | Mar 27, 2015 | Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Losing a loved one in Lakewood is never easy. It’s often even more difficult when that person dies unexpectedly. Aside from the heavy emotional toll that just a tragedy can exact, the financial costs can also be great. With the potential of massive medical bills and funeral costs facing them, and it’s easy to why families who lose members in accidents such as car crashes often struggle to meet the expenses of death.

When fatal motor vehicle accidents occur, the families of accident victims typically rely on the auto insurance company of the driver responsible to cover the accident expenses. Yet what happens when that driver is uninsured? The chances this happening aren’t as remote as many may think, as The Insurance Information Institute reports that as of 2012, almost 13 percent of American motorists do not carry auto insurance.

One solution for the families of accidents victims is to seek compensation from the driver through a wrongful death lawsuit. Not only can this action result in needed financial assistance for a family, it can also provide some means of closure should liability for an accident be disputed. Yet even if a family receives a financial reward through such a lawsuit, there’s no guarantee that the party at fault will be able to pay.

There are, however, other avenues one can explore to earn compensation in such scenarios. These include:

  •          Legal action against auto manufacturers should it be found defective parts caused an accident
  •          Dram shop cases filed against establishments that served a driver alcohol before causing an accident
  •          The Uninsured Motorists clause of their own policies

None of the above information is meant to be viewed as legal advice. It may, however, prove to be helpful should one ever face the scenario described above.