After a car crash, people with damaged vehicles and injuries depend on insurance for financial support. Drivers in Indiana typically have to carry both liability coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
The mandatory insurance coverage required in Indiana can help replace someone’s damaged vehicle, pay their medical expenses and cover their cost of living expenses while they are unable to work. The amount of insurance carried by both of the drivers involved in a collision will have a direct impact on the benefits available after the crash.
Despite the financial risk that comes from a crash, many people only carry the insurance mandated by the state. What happens when the driver at fault for the wreck has minimal coverage?
Drivers can use their underinsured motorist protection
One of the reasons that Indiana requires underinsured motorist coverage is to protect those who suffer significant injuries in a crash caused by someone with inadequate insurance. People often have an equivalent amount of uninsured/underinsured motorist protection as they carry liability coverage.
That might mean that a driver only has $25,000 worth of underinsured motorist coverage in some cases. When the other driver also only has the minimum amount of coverage required by the state, the total amount of insurance could be far too low to pay someone’s bills and replace their wages.
Those hurt in crashes may need to go to court
When a combination of insurance policies is not enough to pay for medical expenses and replace someone’s lost income, the civil courts are likely their best option for recovering their financial losses. Indiana allows those hurt through negligence and lawbreaking to hold others responsible for their misconduct.
If someone else ran a red light or decided to text while driving, the people hurt in the resulting collision could potentially take that motorist to civil court. The more serious the injuries that result from a wreck, the more likely it is that the claim will end up in civil court.
Seeking the full value of collision-related losses may be possible in court even when someone’s policy limits are too low to provide comprehensive reimbursement following a crash. Knowing what protections are available can help those navigating the aftermath of a very expensive Indiana car crash.