Was Your Car Accident Caused By An Uninsured Driver?

In Oklahoma, drivers who cause collisions through their own negligence or recklessness are required to compensate accident victims for the injuries and damages resulting from that crash. Basically, if someone else hits you, then that individual must pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. In most cases, this transaction is achieved through the parties’ insurers, with the injured person filing a claim either directly with the at-fault driver’s insurer or with his or her own insurer, who will then file a claim on the policyholder’s behalf.

Unfortunately, despite being required to obtain insurance before operating a vehicle, many Oklahoma drivers fail to do so, which can leave accident victims in a tough spot financially. This does not mean, however, that injured parties who find themselves in this situation are out of luck, so if you were injured in an accident through no fault of your own with an uninsured driver, you should consider reaching out to an experienced Tulsa auto accident lawyer who can walk you through your legal options.

Auto Insurance Requirements in Oklahoma

Oklahoma law requires all drivers to obtain auto insurance to cover the cost of injuries or property damage they cause in an accident. At a minimum, these policies must provide:

• $25,000 for bodily injury per person;
• $50,000 for bodily injury per accident; and
• $25,000 for property damage per accident.

Although carrying insurance on one’s vehicle is mandatory in Oklahoma, an alarming number of uninsured motorists still end up on the state’s roads. In fact, Oklahoma’s percentage of uninsured drivers is among the highest in the U.S. at 24 percent. This trend can have devastating consequences for insured drivers, who may find themselves uncompensated after being injured in an accident caused by someone else’s carelessness.

Underinsured or Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Oklahoma drivers have the option of purchasing underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, which is specifically designed to cover them in situations where the person who caused a crash isn’t insured, or has a policy that doesn’t cover the full amount of damages. Motorists who have this kind of coverage go through their own insurers when seeking compensation after a crash, which will pay out the remainder of the claim, at least up to the limits of the policy.

Other Legal Options

An at-fault driver doesn’t avoid liability simply because he or she isn’t insured. Rather, they can still be held accountable for their actions even if they are uninsured or the injured party doesn’t have uninsured motorist coverage. In these cases, the accident victim may need to go to court, where he or she can seek to hold the at-fault driver personally liable for medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and even pain and suffering. While this can prove to be a difficult route, it is often the best option for injured motorists who are attempting to recover compensation from an uninsured driver for their accident-related losses.

Experienced Tulsa Auto Accident Lawyers

To work through your legal options after a car accident, please call the dedicated auto accident lawyers in Tulsa at Levinson Law, P.C. today. You can reach us by calling 918-492-4433 or by completing one of our online contact forms.