The Insurance Information Institute reports that nearly one out of every eight drivers in the United States were uninsured, according to a 2017 study done by the Insurance Research Council. That means 13% of motorists nationwide are driving on the street uninsured. These uninsured drivers pose a significant risk to other drivers who have insurance, because the average cost of these types of claims after an accident is fairly steep at $20,000, not including vehicle damage. And in cases where there are extensive injuries resulting from an accident, that amount of money is barely a drop in the bucket when it comes to covering the cost of expensive medical procedures that may be required.
While the number of uninsured drivers has been on a decline overall since 2003, it is still a serious problem that affects millions each year. Because these drivers have no insurance, the other parties involved in accidents with these drivers seldom have recourse to seek fair and just compensation for any damages that occurred in the accident.
Uninsured Drivers in Colorado
With the exception of New Hampshire and Virginia all 50 states, including Colorado, require all drivers to be insured. The bare minimum requirements for automobile insurance in Colorado are $25,000 per person per accident, $50,000 for all persons per accident and $15,000 in property damage liability.
For every seven car accidents in Colorado, at least one of them, on average, was caused by an uninsured driver, which means the people who are injured or who have property damaged in those accidents, had no insurance company to collect compensation from, for those damages. That leaves innocent people whose lives have been damaged due to no fault of their own, without fair recourse, and without justice.
How You Can Protect Yourself Against an Uninsured Driver
One way for Colorado drivers to mitigate this possibility would be to make sure that their own policies include adequate protections against these types of drivers. If you have been injured in an automobile collision and the person who hit you did not have any automobile insurance you can look to your own automobile insurance company to make a claim for uninsured motorist benefits.
Uninsured motorist coverage is automobile insurance coverage that you carry to protect yourself in circumstances where someone who does not have automobile insurance injures you or your family. In difficult economic times though, many motorists decide to save money and take a chance by sticking to the basic liability insurance that is required under Colorado law, and that can leave them open to serious consequences if they are struck by an uninsured motorist.
How our Denver Insurance Coverage Lawyers can Help
Have you been in a car accident in Denver in which you were not at fault, and the other driver was uninsured? You need an aggressive car accident attorney to protect your rights.
At the Gold Law Firm, we help navigate our clients through the confusion that exists after an automobile accident. By working diligently with insurance companies and medical experts, we strive to obtain the maximum compensation available for all of our clients, regardless of their situation.
Contact attorney Gregory A. Gold or Sommer Luther of the Gold Law Firm today for a free consultation at (303) 694-4653, or by filling out the contact form on this page. The Gold Law Firm serves the victims of personal injury, car accidents and insurance disputes throughout the state of Colorado.