Ideally, a person you are involved in a car accident with will stick around to offer you information on who their insurer is. However, there are a few situations in which this does not happen. It might be that the other party suffered a catastrophic injury and was taken to the hospital at the scene. They might not have had the information in their vehicle. Or, they might have simply left the scene without giving you50 any information.
Whatever the cause, you can feel helpless when you do not know if the person who caused your car accident has insurance. The good news is that there are steps you can take to get information about their coverage. Keep reading to learn what three steps you can take to determine what coverage they have. You can also contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation to determine what your legal options are.
- Talk to the Police If a car accident caused any injury (no matter how minor) or if there was property damage of at least $950, then you are required by law to file a police report. If you did so and left the scene without the insurance information of the other parties involved, you can request a copy of the police report from the police department. The driver’s insurance information should have been collected by the police. In the event that the other driver fled the scene of the crime, you can also contact the police with a full or partial license plate or other identifying factors. They can then work to identify the driver, and you could then get insurance information.
- Go to the DMV The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required to keep records of all cars registered in the state and the insurance coverage on them. While the DMV is allowed to share this information with you if the driver refuses to do so for some reason, you will be required to file a formal request to get the insurance evidence you need.
- Call the Major Insurance Companies If you hit a blank wall with the police and the DMV, you can call the major insurance companies. It is true that there are literally thousands of companies, but there are only five major ones. You can call them to confirm if your driver has coverage with them or not.
If you have been injured in a car accident and require legal assistance, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation. We can assess your situation, determine what insurance coverage the at-fault party has, and advise you of your legal options.
