You and all other California drivers must have car insurance before taking a vehicle onto the road. If someone hits you, you can collect benefits from their company to pay for your medical bills.
Unfortunately, not all drivers have insurance. And even those that do may not have enough liability to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident. But California drivers can protect themselves by purchasing uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance coverage.
You could be responsible for your medical bills
In a car crash, you can get multiple injuries that require medical care. Costs for your treatment can quickly become unmanageable. If the other driver causes the accident, you can seek insurance benefits from the driver’s insurance liability coverage. But if the driver has no insurance, you will be responsible for paying the costs of your medical care.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage takes care of your bills
However, you have the option to buy insurance coverage for uninsured and underinsured drivers. If the other driver causes the accident and doesn’t have the insurance to cover your bills, you can ask your own insurance company to pay. By buying this coverage, you can ensure that you have benefits for any medical bills.
Without extra coverage, you can file a lawsuit
If you don’t have uninsured motorist insurance, you can also file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. But this can take much longer to receive than your insurance benefits. And if the driver doesn’t have money to pay for insurance, he or she may not have money to pay a lawsuit settlement.
The costs of coverage can outweigh the costs of medical care
While you may not want to pay for extra insurance, costs for medical care can be much more expensive than your monthly insurance premium. And when you drive on California roads, you don’t have to worry about an accident leaving you with unmanageable debt.
