If you are like many Illinois drivers, you have been paying insurance on your car since you were a teenager and have never needed to make a big claim. You may have increased your coverage as you grew up and had more to lose if you caused a crash.
You may also have invested in supplemental coverage like underinsured and uninsured motorist protection. That coverage could be important if you get into a crash caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance.
Uninsured drivers put everyone at risk on the road, as they can cause damage to property or injuries to others that insurance should cover. Do you have much risk of encountering an uninsured driver in Illinois?
More than one in 10 Illinois drivers don’t have active insurance
State law requires insurance, but many people don’t maintain their policies. Some people forget to send a payment, while others intentionally cancel their policies.
Illinois is average when it comes to number of uninsured drivers. It ranks 24th in the nation, almost right in the middle. Based on data from 2019, you can expect that roughly 11.8% of drivers on the Illinois roads do not have active insurance policies.
What happens when an uninsured driver hits you?
If your insurance policy has uninsured motorist coverage as mentioned earlier, you may be able to make a claim against your own policy. Of course, making a big claim will likely increase what you pay for insurance even though you weren’t at fault for the wreck. As such, you may want to explore other options and only turn to your own insurance policy as a last resort.
Those hurt by uninsured drivers will usually have the right to file a civil lawsuit. You can take someone to court for the losses you have suffered that their insurance policy should have paid. The cost to repair your vehicle, the medical costs for your treatment and any wages you lost because you couldn’t work will contribute to what you can seek from the other driver.
Learning more about Illinois insurance requirements and personal injury laws can help you take the right steps after a major car crash.