I was struck by an uninsured motorist this week

[liberal N proud]

I had to stop for oncoming traffic that couldn't wait for a safe, clear place to pass and was in my lane. As I was stopped, a car struck me from behind. Were they o a cell phone? I have nothing to indicate that they were.

My car was totaled as was the other car and the driver was injured. I fortunately walked away with nothing more than a stiff shoulder from where the seatbelt did its job, everything I had in the vehicle was thrown forward.

I exited my vehicle and took one look back and knew it was bad and called 911.

I just received word from the police that the driver did not show proof of insurance.

I had to have wheels, fortunately, I have good insurance who are taking care of me with the process, renting a car for me. That alone is a story I will tell about Enterprise some time. They are also working on the process of recovering the value of my car.

How do people take that kind of risk, not having insurance? This person will now be held accountable by the insurance company as well as the law and the car they were driving looked like it was a newer Toyota.

I was feeling sorry for the young person until I found out that they are the reason my insurance is so damn expensive.

Always carry uninsured motorist and always wear your seat-belts.

[Just Saying]

1. Glad you're okay.

And good advice.

[last1standing]

2. It's a catch 22.

Yes, the reason your insurance is so high is because of all the uninsured motorists, but the reason there are so many uninsured motorists is because insurance is so high.

Years ago, I was an uninsured motorist because I couldn't afford to have insurance while feeding my family - we were that poor. Yet I had to drive because there was no adequate transportation where I lived and I couldn't afford to move. Luckily, I never had an accident but I could have and it bothered me greatly.

We live in a society that makes living while poor a crime. Our criminal system and taxation system pours money into defending and pampering those with wealth while leaving the poor to scramble by hoping not to get caught up in the system. Black, white, red or brown, the poor live in fear of the system.

Anyway, I'm glad you weren't hurt and I hope you get everything of value replaced. Good luck.

[Voice for Peace]

16. "the reason there are so many uninsured motorists is because insurance is so high. "

bingo

and standards for inspection -- I think are
often unreasonable -- and repairs can
be too expensive to complete.

trying to renew my own registration for
example found out I need to come up
with about $500 I don't have.

[last1standing]

21. Sorry to hear that.

So many of these regulations that should be good ideas end up becoming a tax on the poor. The cars that need the most work to come up to spec are older cars being driven by people who can't afford a new vehicle every two years or so. I support having well maintained cars on the road but I don't support forcing the poor into the untenable position of choosing to either fixing their cars or buying food.

[liberal N proud]

29. Pulling a car into the shop costs $500+ these days

I do as much repair on my vehicles that I can, leaving major work to the shop.

I know what you mean about inspections, when I lived in Missouri, the favorite required repair was brake hose, the inpesctor would grab them and shake them. On older cars they would crack every time.

It's amazing how long brake hoses last since leaving Missouri.

[Kolesar]

27. We insure two cars for $450/year, and that is for $500,000 liability

We are not buying "collision" insurance. We have not had any tickets or claims in decades.

Young drivers cannot get such low rates, but they could buy the state minimum of $10000/year for an affordable price. .

[last1standing]

28. Whereas I pay over $2200/year for two cars with a spotless driving record.

I'm certainly not considered a young driver, either. Any way you break it down, it can be prohibitive for a poor person t buy insurance in places where a vehicle is necessary to live.

Of course the answer is better mass transit but that's like admitting to being a communist in Michigan.

[Kolesar]

32. We used the Progressive Insurance Snapshot discount--my wife's discount was 25%

Mine was about 4%. It's worth a look.
Peter B Lewis, the founder of Progressive, has funded a lot of Democratic candidates, so I have a loyalty to that company. I have other discounts, like paperless statements and a home fire insurance, too.
http://www.progressive.com/auto/snapshot-how-it-works/
good luck

[last1standing]

33. I'm looked at Progressive.

Michigan is a bad state for insurance even from Progressive. It has some of the highest rates and lowest payouts in the nation. That's why I was forced to drive without it for a few years when I was younger. I didn't like it but when the choice is break the law and eat or follow the law and starve most will choose the former.

I know the world isn't fair but it does seem that the rules have been set up to be incredibly fair for those who already have an advantage.

[Ilsa]

34. Taking a $25 safe driver course usually nets

An annual discount of $75 for me.

[penultimate]

35. Unless they are financing their car

I'm currently financing my car and I need to have both comprehensive and collision with a $250 or lower deductible. I'm 30 now and never had a ticket or accident, so my rates aren't too bad (although progressive tried quoting me at $225/mo for some reason) Right now I only pay $120, and I have some extras on it too. However, my little brother who is 20 is financing his car too (no idea why he did that) and he couldn't afford to get the insurance by himself. Even on our parent's insurance, he's paying like $250/mo. By himself, he'd have to pay like $550/mo. Although he has had an accident and a speeding ticket a couple years ago.

If it wasn't for the fact he's on our parents insurance and that he has a decent paying job for a 20 yr old, I don't see how he would be able to afford it.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Thank goodness that you are ok.

I am always shocked at the number of people who are driving uninsured. And they are a nightmare for all of us. Not to mention a nightmare for the uninsured driver who will have no coverage for the damage to his car or for his medical bills (another instance where we will probably be paying more for insurance to cover what he will not be able to pay).

I don't know how anyone has a newer model car and has no insurance. Banks require it if you finance, and leases require it if you lease. The only way around it is to buy a new car with cash, and who in their right mind would have the money to pay cash for a new car and not insure it.

You will have to update us on what the results of this accident are, but I have been in the same position, and it cost me a lot of money just because the asshole who hit me didn't have insurance. If he were insured, you would have no out of pocket expenses, but you will now have to pay your deductible. I also had to pay part of the rental cost, since my insurance did not cover enough to rent a car from any rental agency.

And you are right. We pay additional insurance costs just to cover the uninsured.

[liberal N proud]

7. I have already replaced the vehicle

I was able to find the same model on line, went to drive it today and signed the papers. It will be paid off as soon as I get the check from my insurance company. They gave me a few thousand less than what I paid for it a year ago.

The whole thing so far has cost me about $2500 though considering what they will offer me for my car.

[Ilsa]

36. Lenders tack expensive insurance if a borrower

let's their collision policy expire. The bank protects its collateral, and that stuff is significantly more expensive.

[Curmudgeoness]

37. That makes me think.....

if this was a newer car, and it was financed, the uninsured driver may be insured and not even know it. The bank may have insurance on the car. But....isn't that insurance just to cover the car, not other cars or the driver?

I had a bank tack on insurance to a loan once, when I changed insurance carriers and they "said" that they did not get notification from the new company that I had insurance. I had a six month fight with the bank, even after I proved that I had never had a day of lapsed coverage. And yes, it was very expensive.

[Ilsa]

38. What a mess! I've heard of that happening

and how difficult it is to get premiums rebated so the car title is released.

I don't know if or why liability is not included, or if that might vary from state to state.

[oneshooter]

4. Uninsured motorist insurance

Is the cheapest protection around. With the many people driving without insurance anybody would be a fool not to have it. It is NOT part of a standard liability policy, but must be asked for.

Get it, it's cheap and well worth the price.

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. Is it?

If you have comprehensive coverage on your car, the damage to your car will be taken care of.

If you have medical insurance, your medical care will be taken care of.

If you have those two kinds of insurance, I'm unsure what uninsured motorist coverage will pay except perhaps for the deductibles.

[oneshooter]

23. Many people carry only required liability on their vehicles.

If your car is more than 10 years old then comp is expensive. At least with uninsured motorist your car can be repaired, and you pay 1/2 of your deductible.

[lumberjack_jeff]

39. I'm not sure that the math behind opting for UIM in lieu of collision is good either.

Collision pays even if you hit a stationary object or it's your fault. UIM only pays if; a) it's the other person's fault and b) they lack liability insurance.

If you have collision insurance and medical insurance, I'm not even sure that UIM pays the deductibles in that case.

[FSogol]

40. Don't most states require Uninsured motorist insurance?

I'm sure that VA does.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Our state just now implemented a computerized insurance system.

They have tied your insurance to your car to your registration.
If you want to renew license or registration, you have to bring proof of insurance, which is checked against the insurance companies own records.
This is a new state wide computer system, I expect plenty of FUBAR, having watched businesses and Gov't try to cope with computers in the recent past.

[liberal N proud]

9. I think many states are going to that

If you are stopped, the police can verify your that your insurance is up to date.

But it is easy to get a vehicle registered by just purchasing insurance for a few months and dropping it once through the DMV.

[CokeMachine]

11. We've had that system here for years.

It seemd to work but I still carry uninsured motorist insurance. Most of the uninsured here also don't valid licenses. At every DUI checkpoint there are 20-30 arrests for no license or suspended license per each DUI.

[former9thward]

6. The odds the driver will be held accountable by the insurance company is very low.

The person, especially if they are young, probably has little assets. When someone has little assets they can't be sued because there is no point to it.

[liberal N proud]

8. You are probably correct

But I would think the fine will be steep.

[FrodosPet]

10. Someone told me years ago "Never sue a poor person"

"Even if you win, you'll never collect. Always find out who has money and sue THEM."

[Kolesar]

30. My coworker's insurance company collected on a deadbeat driver a decade after an accident

My coworker finally got his deductible back. The insurance company had paid all but the deductible and stayed on the guy until he coughed up the thousands of dollars of damage that he had caused.

My coworker noted that this is a good reason to carry collision insurance, so the insurance company's lawyers can handle the collection.

[former9thward]

31. He is lucky.

That is not the normal result. Normally an insurance company won't do that because the cost of the lawyers is more than the claim is worth. There may have been peculiar facts in your coworkers case.

[WolverineDG]

12. Didn't show or didn't have insurance?

Sometimes people don't carry proof of insurance with them.

But yeah, getting hit by an uninsured driver sucks. I was recently involved in a rear-end collision at a stop light as well (3 car pile up, I was the last car hit). Fortunately, the guy who caused it has insurance, but in the other accidents I've been involved in before, the driver was uninsured.

[liberal N proud]

17. The driver has had 5 days to provide proof

The officer said they would be charging the driver for not providing proof of insurance. They have not submitted the police report for that reason.

[femmocrat]

13. That's a shame, liberal N proud!

I'm glad you are OK, though. Did you have a doctor check out your shoulder, just in case?

[hedgehog]

15. In New York you are required to have insurance -

and if you drop your insurance, you get a notification from DMV to surrender your plates.

I don't know what happens next if you don't turn the plates in.

[Lex]

18. In most every state (if not all) that's true, but

people ignore it and keep driving anyway.

[barbtries]

19. i'm glad you're okay!

the same thing happened to me on June 10 on the freeway. fortunately everyone was insured. i think the man who plowed into me may have been texting because he just did not stop and his phone was completely shattered apparently by the airbag.

here in NC if you' let your insurance lapse for even a day the DMV takes your tags for a month.

[liberal N proud]

26. I can't say if they were texting or talking on their phone

But their air bags did deploy.

[Zorra]

20. I had my cherry old 63 chevy truck totaled when I was hit by someone in the country illegally.

This was in the mountains in Eastern Washington.

They fled the scene on foot, never to be seen again.

I did not have collision or uninsured motorist on the rig, and it was a total loss for me.

That was a great truck, I bought it from the widow of a man who used for a hobby gold mining rig. When I bought it in 1984 it only had 35,000 miles on it. It was in perfect shape, 4wd, had a 292 six and a 4speed with the lowest granny you ever saw.

The truck was legendary for its ability to pull people who were stuck out of whatever they got stuck in.

sigh...yep, always carry uninsured motorist is great advice.

[davidpdx]

22. I was victim of a hit and run around 12 years ago

I was stopped at a light and the person hit me from behind. He motioned for us to go into the parking lot and then took off. Thankfully there was another driver who saw the whole thing and took off after him (not to stop him, but to get his plate number). The person came back and gave me the plate number and I thanked them. The area I was in was between cities (an unincorporated part of the county) that the state police were responsible for. Unfortunately the only three on duty officers (due to major cutbacks) were way out in the other part of the area they are responsible for making a drug bust. I think I was able to drive home. The next day a state police officer came to my house and took down the information. My insurance company was good and they came out the same day and looked at the damage and told me to have the officer call them. In the end they paid for everything as I had uninsured motorist coverage (he did not have insurance just like the person who hit you) on my policy. I insisted they press charges, but have no idea what happened.

I'm glad to hear you are ok, and sorry that you had to go through all that mess.

[4_TN_TITANS]

24. Maybe they just didn't have proof on them?

It's possible they could still be insured.

[liberal N proud]

25. The accident was 5 days ago

Te officer said he tried 3 times to get proof fro the driver.

Granted, they were in the hospital for two days following the incident, but they have had the opportunity to provide documentation.