Chances are, auto insurance is not one of your favorite party topics. One survey of over 1,000 American drivers found that only 21% of drivers truly understand car insurance. This lack of knowledge can carry negative consequences for drivers, like paying more than necessary for the insurance or keeping limits that do not truly cover your needs.
Perhaps the worst consequence of not understanding car insurance is drivers who decide not to have car insurance at all. These drivers take the risk of covering all their costs of an accident out of pocket, and they complicate your process for handling an accident if the uninsured driver’s accident involved you.
Uninsured motorists in Minnesota
Minnesota, thanks to a law change in 2015, actually has one of the lowest rates of uninsured drivers. As Minnesota drivers must show proof of insurance to register or renew registration for a vehicle, just 11.5% of Minnesota drivers head onto the road without insurance. Yet some insurance professionals worry that Minnesota drivers buy insurance for the registration period, then cancel the policy.
Can you sue an uninsured motorist?
If you suffered an injury in an accident with an uninsured motorist, you can pursue a personal injury claim for the other driver’s negligence. However, Minnesota does require that all drivers have uninsured and underinsured motorist protection. This means that your insurance company will actually compensate you for the damage to your car or medical treatment received after a collision with an uninsured driver.
A personal injury claim only comes into play if your insurance company will not cover the full amount of the damages. In that case, the uninsured driver may have personal responsibility for the remainder of your post-accident expenses.
Working with your insurance company does not mean that uninsured motorists should not have consequences for their actions. Negligent drivers can still receive a fine or citation, depending on the situation of the accident.