What happens when someone without insurance causes a wreck?

As a responsible adult, you are well aware of the fact that the state of Missouri requires motor vehicle liability insurance for all vehicles and drivers. You carry a policy, and you likely assume that most everyone else does too. However, a shockingly high number of people on the roads in Missouri may not have an active automobile liability policy.

Although Missouri is not as bad as some states, where nearly a quarter of drivers don’t have insurance, there is still substantial statistical risk related to the roughly 14% of MIssouri drivers who do not carry insurance on their vehicle.

Why do people drive without insurance?

For most people, the expenses of even the most basic motor vehicle insurance policy can prove prohibitive during times of financial hardship. Whether someone makes a very low wage or has to miss work, people can find themselves needing to choose between buying groceries or paying their mortgage and making their monthly payment on their car insurance.

Quite a few people likely think that when their policy lapses, they will be able to reinstate it quickly in the future. However, the companies typically require payments of the previously missed premium, which could mean that a person who misses a few months of insurance payments won’t have enough money to reinstate the policy.

Some people simply forget to send a payment and don’t realize their mistake until they need the coverage and find they don’t have any. There are even people who intentionally register the vehicle and then cancel their insurance policy as a means of saving money. Whether intentional or not, those without insurance put you at risk.

You can expand your own insurance to protect against the uninsured

Given that roughly one out of every seven drivers that you cross paths with on the Missouri roads won’t have an active insurance policy, an uninsured driver causing a crash is a statistical risk that you simply shouldn’t ignore. Otherwise, you could find yourself dealing with financial hardship of your own thanks to someone else being irresponsible.

Your insurance policy protects you from liability if you cause a crash. The policy will cover the costs associated with property damage or bodily injury, ranging from vehicle repairs to funeral expenses. When someone without insurance causes a crash, the victim may not have any insurance protection against the expenses that come with a significant collision.

Reviewing your motor vehicle liability insurance policy and adding uninsured and underinsured driver coverage can do a lot to protect you if you get into a crash caused by someone without an active policy. This coverage often only costs a few dollars and can prove invaluable if you need it in the future.