Every time you get into a motor vehicle in New Hampshire, you take a little bit of a risk. No matter how safe you try to be at the wheel, you may cross paths with someone texting while driving or drunk at the wheel, which may ultimately mean that you get seriously hurt or die. Car crashes remain a leading cause of both death and catastrophic injury for most demographics in the United States.
While you likely expect to file an insurance claim after a car crash, some people have expenses from collisions that insurance will not cover. What are two of the more common reasons that drivers find themselves without adequate compensation following a motor vehicle collision?
The other driver doesn’t have insurance
Unlike most every other state in the country, New Hampshire does not mandate insurance coverage for all drivers, only for those in certain circumstances. Someone with a prior drunk driving conviction, for example, will need proof of coverage to get back on the road again after the suspension of their license. Someone who has never had driving issues may not have any coverage at all.
Although the average person still carries a policy, you could potentially get into a crash caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance. At that point, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for your costs or go to court unless you paid extra for specialized coverage on your insurance policy.
You suffer major medical issues
A car crash that results in an amputation, a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury will cause potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-term expenses. Even when drivers do have insurance, they might have as little as $25,000 worth of bodily injury liability coverage.
Some drivers who have underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage can make claims against their own policies in conjunction with the other driver’s policy, but even to claims-made leave someone with hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost wages and medical bills that they have no way to pay.
Figuring out what a crash will likely cost you and looking into all of your options for compensation can help protect you after a serious motor vehicle collision in New Hampshire.