What if I was rear-ended on the highway and the person who hit me didn’t have insurance or a registration?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What if I was rear-ended on the highway and the person who hit me didn’t have insurance or a registration?
Asked on November 8, 2014 under Accident Law, Connecticut
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
You can sue that person--any who is at fault (like the driver who rear-ends you almost always is) in damaging your vehicle or injuring you is liable, or financial responsible, for your costs, losses, and damages. Insurance provides a way to pay, but if someone doesn't have insurance, they can still be forced to pay you personally if you sue them and win. The problem, of course, is that winning the lawsuit is meaningless if there is no money to pay you. Since this driver does not have insurance to pay any judgments against him or her, not only do you have to rely on his or her personal income or assets as a source of compensation, but there's a good chance that he or she does not have the income or assets to satisfy a judgment--usually, people who have something (like a house; the income from a good job; etc.) to lose get insurance to protect themselves. Not buying insurance may mean this person has nothing to lose. If he or she is insolvent, even if you win, there may be no way to collect.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.