Hit by Uninsured Driver in Idaho Am I Covered?
Reader’s Question:
I am from Idaho and was hit by an uninsured driver, and my car sustained considerable damage although I was unharmed. The other driver is claiming that she did not do it. What do I need to do to reimburse the expenses for repairs done to my car?
Sharon
Pocatello, ID
Getting involved in an accident can prove to be a big headache especially if the other driver does not have any car insurance at all. Although the State of Idaho mandates that its motorists be covered at least with the minimum liability insurance requirements, some motorists simply ignore this financial responsibility act.
The only way a driver will be assisted by his or her own car insurance company for repairs cost following an accident where an uninsured driver is at fault is if the Collision and Comprehensive Insurance coverage is in place at the time of the accident. This assists the policyholder for repairs to the car sustained from being hit by an uninsured driver. Personal Injury Protection insurance pays for treatment of bodily injuries sustained after being hit by a driver with no insurance coverage. This means that the policyholder will need to file a claim against his or her car insurance provider initially for medical care and rehabilitation.
If both PIP and Collision coverage are not included in your policy when the accident happened, then you will need to seek legal assistance to file a lawsuit against the other driver to collect for any damages. Your advantage in this case would be that the other driver was already breaking the law by driving around uninsured.
Medical Expenses Auto Insurance Coverage in Idaho
Reader’s Question:
I got involved in a car accident here in Idaho where the other driver was declared at fault. Now I have a cast on my leg and been in the hospital for a month. My medical payments insurance is almost used up. Will my insurer go after the other party’s car insurance company to collect money for my medical treatment?
Hugh
Boise, ID
Each state has varying car insurance laws. In Idaho, drivers are required to obtain the minimum liability insurance. This means that if the insured ever gets involved in a car accident and is found to be at fault, then his or her car insurance provider will shoulder the costs incurred resulting from the accident.
Minimum coverage means having up to twenty-five thousand dollars to pay for treatment of bodily injuries to a single person or a combined total of fifty thousand dollars for all passengers engaged in the accident. An amount of fifteen thousand dollars goes to property damage coverage if repairs are needed to the victim’s vehicle.
Assuming that the other motorist involved in the accident you were in has minimum liability coverage, then you really wouldn’t have any problem claiming medical payments coverage from his or her insurer. But while Idaho mandates that every driver have minimum liability insurance, some still drive around with not enough or no coverage at all. In this case, if you availed of the uninsured/underinsured section in your policy, then your own car insurance company should be the one taking care of all the medical expense, provided that the cost incurred for medical treatment is within the limit stated in your car insurance policy.