Legal Question in Personal Injury in Alabama
I was an a car accident today and i dont have auto insurance. The other people were at fault and they had insurance but the officer told me that since i didnt have any that their insurance wouldnt pay for my damages....is that true?
3 Answers from Attorneys
They are two separate issues. Liability for a car wreck is totally separate from whether you had insurance. The State government could take action against you and fine you for failure to have liability coverage, but if the other person was at fault, you can bring a claim against them, and their insurance coverage will kick in. You should write the other party and/or their insurance company and make a claim for damages.
Short answer is "no" what the officer said is not correct. Longer answer is that you do have a civil claim for both property damages and personal injuries, which the other side's insurance carrier probably will refuse to pay citing the fact that you did not carry auto coverage. So, I suspect that if you are going to make a recovery in this case, you will need to hire a lawyer.