Drivers in California often take great care to avoid getting into a crash. Those who do end up in a wreck typically expect that insurance will take care of their costs. After all, every licensed driver with a registered vehicle in the state is required to have insurance.
California law mandates both property damage and bodily injury liability coverage, which means that those who are not to blame for a crash can usually pursue a simple insurance claim after a wreck. While there typically is insurance coverage that can help after a crash, many motorists discover that it will not be sufficient given the total losses they incur.
Why do insurance challenges often leave people struggling financially after a wreck?
People depend on the driver at fault for coverage
The biggest issue with liability insurance is that people don’t control their own protection after a crash. They instead have to depend on the other driver to make good decisions about their insurance policy. Some motorists are irresponsible and cancel their policies or allow them to lapse due to missed payments. Others only ever purchase the insurance that the state says is necessary and nothing more.
After a serious collision, the motorist at fault might only have $15,000 in bodily injury coverage and $5,000 in property damage coverage to reimburse the person hurt in the crash. Although drivers generally have the option of increasing what liability coverage they carry and adding additional protection to their policies, quite a few motorists only carry what the state requires, and some fail to do even now.
Insurance issues often lead to civil court
When there isn’t enough insurance to cover someone’s vehicle replacement expenses or medical bills after a car wreck, they may have the option of filing a personal injury lawsuit. California law permits civil claims against both individuals and businesses whose actions or negligence cause major collisions.
The people who are not to blame for a crash should not have to absorb the costs generated by someone else’s mistakes, provided that they can prove who was at fault and show evidence of their economic losses. Seeking legal guidance to better understand the issues that often stem from California’s insurance approach can help people more effectively protect their interests after a wreck.