The risk of a car crash is a natural byproduct of using personal motor vehicle transportation. Dozens of people experience property damage and even significant injuries because of collisions every day in the Garden State. Sometimes, those affected by a crash will have major expenses to cover.
Usually, drivers can count on motor vehicle insurance to reimburse them for crash costs. However, some people end up hurt in a collision caused by someone without insurance coverage. How will you cover your expenses if someone without insurance hurts you in New Jersey?
Your own policy can help
Uninsured drivers aren’t that major of an issue on the roads in New Jersey, so your risk of encountering one is lower here than anywhere else in the country. New Jersey actually has the lowest percentage of uninsured drivers out of all the states, with just 3.1% of people driving while uninsured in 2019. Still, that means you have slightly less than a one in 30 chance of the person at fault for your wreck not having insurance.
A small percentage of drivers who cause crashes must admit to not having coverage afterward. The required uninsured motorist coverage on your standard New Jersey policy can pay for property damage losses and medical expenses if the person who causes your crash doesn’t carry a policy as they should. Basic policies may not have uninsured motorist coverage.
If your coverage is only what the state requires, you should have at least $15,000 in no-fault personal injury protection and the same amount of uninsured motorist coverage as the liability coverage you carry.
You can take the driver to court
Often, when someone is clearly at fault for a car crash, they could end up in civil court. New Jersey law allows those harmed by a collision through personal injuries or property damage losses to pursue a lawsuit when the situation involves negligence, omissions or misconduct on the part of the driver who causes the wreck.
Insurance often serves as a protection against a lawsuit, but those without coverage or with a basic policy may end up paying for their mistakes in civil court. If you take the right steps, you can potentially hold the person who causes the crash and who doesn’t have insurance fully responsible for the harm they caused you. Knowing your right following a New Jersey car wreck will help you cover the costs that often accrue due to a collision.
