Uninsured motorist rant

[paulswagelock]

12 months ago I was sitting at a train crossing, in park, waiting for the long train to go by. I look up at my rearview mirror and see a car coming. There is a 1/2 mile flat and straight road leading up to where I was stopped. The car never stopped and rear ended me. The driver admitted his brakes were bad but drove anyhow. He had no insurance. No one hurt, his car ruined, my truck had just under $10,000 damage. Police would not come because there were no injuries and both vehicles were technically drivable. They didn’t care he was driving uninsured. Not even a ticket on his part.

This week we were taking my elderly in-laws to lunch for Mother’s Day. We were broadsided while driving on a four lane road by a driver who decided to shoot out between stopped cars to make a left across a 4 lane highway. Hard hit. Two of my passengers went to the hospital, all cars undrivable. Once again he had no insurance. Police were on site because of the injuries. He will get a ticket. My passenger has broken ribs, broken shoulder, punctured lung, and will be in hospital and rehab for a few weeks. My car was a 4 day old Mercedes and has heavy damage. So my group will have $100,000 in medical and damages and hospitalization, and all that happens to him for driving illegally is he gets a ticket.

The system is broken.
Rant over.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Its not a rant. Its facts.

I have concluded no one in power cares about those of us that follow the rules and were just here to pay the bills.

Sorry for your issues.

 

[PontiacHO]

In North Carolina, you can have their driver’s license suspended for not paying for repairs if they are cited for an at fault accident. You have to hire legal counsel but it could mean the difference for recouping some repair costs (deductible?). It’s about all the leverage we have against these slackers. Don’t get me started on these fake paper tags….

 

[MasterSolenoid]

I hope everyone recovers completely and that you can put this behind you.

I had the same thing happen to me.
Another car hit me head-on .... totals my truck
The driver had NO insurance, NO registration.
NO tickets were given.
The police let his girlfriend drive the car home .... I needed a tow.

I took the driver to small-claims court / they don't show up.
I file a lean against his property / he rents.
I'm screwed.

Vehicle prices are going UP
(+) Insurance prices will follow
(=) More drivers will be driving WITHOUT insurance
Have a plan 'B'

 

[JHZR2]

Did the police used to come to these? Were you in rural nowhere? We have had two incidents about a decade ago, one where our vehicle was in a parking lot, one where we were rear ended stopped at a light.

Police came both times as soon as we called.

Uninsured drivers should indeed have the book thrown at them. Folks want “common sense” gun laws, and felonies for those who don’t adhere with that deadly instrument, yet if they drive a potentially deadly vehicle and cause damage they don’t get anything.

And the thieving car insurance companies enable this. As do the people themselves by being irresponsible.

To me the fix is twofold - jail time for driving uninsured, and insurance as part of the “privilege” of having a drivers license.

The insurance going with the car is just theft and a stupid process. Comprehensive, ok. The rest of it, just a moneymaking scheme for the insurer. A base amount if insurance should be required to have a license. If you don’t own a car, it would still be liability, but could be based upon your risk exposure due to taking the bus or whatever. If you drive a lot, it would be different.

Then there’s no such thing as a driver driving uninsured then. Lack of insurance equals revocation of license. Driving unlicensed is a bigger and different issue.

Sure, some folks would still do it. They would drive unlicensed and not care. And perhaps the police wouldn’t care. But IMO it would make some of the folks have to get something instead of just operating without, because they would want a legit license for ID purposes.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Have a plan 'B'

I agree with what your saying - but you can't fight city hall. So what is viable plan B?

Here your required to carry Uninsured / underinsured liability. So I am legally obligated to insure people that are driving illegally? How is this even legal. Yes it is likely not - but you can't fight city hall.

 

[eljefino]

Lots of people are out there with no skin in the game. Same thing goes for landlords-- they let strangers into their homes with a security deposit that, by law, can't exceed a number that's usually less than one percent of the actual value of the property. Then they can milk the system for umpteen months of free rent and unpaid damages while the landlord has to keep his i's dotted and t's crossed until the system finally allows an eviction. Nobody seems to want this liability except mega corporations with armies of lawyers, then people complain there's nowhere reasonable to rent.

Adulting should come with a security deposit.

 

[IndyIan]

12 months ago I was sitting at a train crossing, in park, waiting for the long train to go by. I look up at my rearview mirror and see a car coming. There is a 1/2 mile flat and straight road leading up to where I was stopped. The car never stopped and rear ended me. The driver admitted his brakes were bad but drove anyhow. He had no insurance. No one hurt, his car ruined, my truck had just under $10,000 damage. Police would not come because there were no injuries and both vehicles were technically drivable. They didn’t care he was driving uninsured. Not even a ticket on his part.

This week we were taking my elderly in-laws to lunch for Mother’s Day. We were broadsided while driving on a four lane road by a driver who decided to shoot out between stopped cars to make a left across a 4 lane highway. Hard hit. Two of my passengers went to the hospital, all cars undrivable. Once again he had no insurance. Police were on site because of the injuries. He will get a ticket. My passenger has broken ribs, broken shoulder, punctured lung, and will be in hospital and rehab for a few weeks. My car was a 4 day old Mercedes and has heavy damage. So my group will have $100,000 in medical and damages and hospitalization, and all that happens to him for driving illegally is he gets a ticket.

The system is broken.
Rant over.

So who is paying for the hospital care and your car damage? Your insurance?

 

[Cujet]

OP, I am so sorry. I truly understand.

The bottom line is that if the driver is uninsured and broke, it's a dead end, even in a civil lawsuit. Getting money from someone who is broke is impossible. Plus fines and penalties are low. Often 'no ins' is a $100 ticket, waived with proof.

My auto ins is now $6K/yr. Like many of you, I am paying for all the nonsense. Since FL allows us to self insure by setting aside $40K, and $20K for each addl vehicle, I may just do so. With premiums like mine, for the lowest coverage, something is very wrong. There is some possibility of hybrid coverage too, modest insurance coverage on one vehicle out of three, for example.

Unlicensed Illegal did this, seriously injured my wife:
Note: Other driver was heavily ticketed, claimed indigence (homeless) and the judge waived the fees.

 

[Egg_Head]

While driving in certain areas of my city, you'll see a large majority of the cars with no tags or these pathetic looking, clearly bogus temp tags. Obviously none of these cars are insured. The police in a town in the next county started an effort to clean up their problem by pulling these scoflaws and impounding their cars. The Charlotte PD don't seen interested or doesn't want the blow-back from judicial activists of "keeping hard working people from getting to work".

 

[Chris142]

The insurance is so expensive that many can't afford it. Our ins just doubled and we have no claims. If for some reason our ins stopped serving ca like many others have I couldn't afford to renew with another company.

We are with Costco who is by far the cheapest. The rest are still 3 x what I pay even after it doubled. I'd still have to get to work. There's no bus service in my area so I would still have to drive to work

 

[JHZR2]

The insurance is so expensive that many can't afford it. Our ins just doubled and we have no claims. If for some reason our ins stopped serving ca like many others have I couldn't afford to renew with another company.

We are with Costco who is by far the cheapest. The rest are still 3 x what I pay even after it doubled. I'd still have to get to work. There's no bus service in my area so I would still have to drive to work

You’re likely paying for tons of issues in a place like CA.

You also have how many vehicles? When one would suffice (on paper at least)? Thus my issue with insuring by vehicle versus by driver. While the other vehicles one owns sit idle and unable to create any liability.

 

[D60]

The insurance is so expensive that many can't afford it. Our ins just doubled and we have no claims. If for some reason our ins stopped serving ca like many others have I couldn't afford to renew with another company.

We are with Costco who is by far the cheapest. The rest are still 3 x what I pay even after it doubled. I'd still have to get to work. There's no bus service in my area so I would still have to drive to work

Oh the irony!! If you can't see it....I can't explain it

 

[SC Maintenance]

The insurance is so expensive that many can't afford it. Our ins just doubled and we have no claims. If for some reason our ins stopped serving ca like many others have I couldn't afford to renew with another company.

We are with Costco who is by far the cheapest. The rest are still 3 x what I pay even after it doubled. I'd still have to get to work. There's no bus service in my area so I would still have to drive to work

Your paying for all the people that don't pay.

In your small way, your now paying for the OP's accident. His insurance had to pay - meaning everyone who buys insurance now pays more. Those that do not buy insurance pay zero.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Seems like half the people pay for the other half.

 

[burbguy82]

In North Carolina, you can have their driver’s license suspended for not paying for repairs if they are cited for an at fault accident. You have to hire legal counsel but it could mean the difference for recouping some repair costs (deductible?). It’s about all the leverage we have against these slackers. Don’t get me started on these fake paper tags….

also, in NC, if you have no insurance or drivers license, no matter who is at fault, the one with no driving priviledge is proxy at fault.

also, with no insurance, they cancel your tags, nearly instantaneously

neither of these stop the person from breaking the law of course

 

[SC Maintenance]

This study from 2022 says that 14% of drivers do not have insurance. Some states were over 20%. This was 2022 - probably far worse now.

I am sure they all drive super careful for sure / sarc.

How is this even possible?

https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists

 

[alarmguy]

The OP's post is a reminder for those who do not read their insurance policy

It's very important to maximize the "under insured/uninsured" protection in your auto policy. I carry the same coverage for them as I do my own liability. 250/500 if anyone who damages me or my passengers and doesn't have coverage or only has the state min coverage.
You might look at your policy and see something stupid low like 25/50 underinsured/uninsured.

IF someone doesn't have insurance or enough of it, you got problems because in most all cases you can't get blood from a stone if the person has no money and you are stuck.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

So what is viable plan B?

Plan 'B' can be different for each person.
From acceptance to street justice.
Just don't be naive .... it can happen to you.

but you can't fight city hall.

Especially when politicians are legalizing recreational marijuana.

 

[alarmguy]

This study from 2022 says that 14% of drivers do not have insurance. Some states were over 20%. This was 2022 - probably far worse now.

I am sure they all drive super careful for sure / sarc.

How is this even possible?

https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists

Good post and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. I would be willing to bet, even those who have insurance that they carry the state min which is completely useless if someone is hurt. One day in a hospital can exceed the coverage of a states require minimum .