If a car hits you while biking, the results can be disastrous. Though you take every safety precaution, bicycles can still leave you vulnerable to injuries and damages.
California is a fault-based accident coverage state. This means that the party who is at fault for the accident will be responsible for paying for the damages involved. Fault and responsibility to pay damages can also be split between the involved parties by the courts. You likely are expecting the driver who hit you to take responsibility and pay for your now-mounting expenses. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.
The prevalence of uninsured drivers
The likelihood of that driver you get in an accident with being uninsured is declining but is still a possibility. In the most recent study in 2017 reported by the Insurance Information Institute (III), one in eight drivers is uninsured. California has the 12th most uninsured drivers in the U.S., at 15.2%.
How your insurance may help
We know that not every driver carries the insurance they should. If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, you may need to work with your insurance to get coverage for the damages. If you carry auto insurance, it can help you cover the accident even though you were not driving and uninsured motorist coverage can help you recover from an accident when the at-fault driver can’t.
California does not require cyclists to carry auto coverage, nor does it require uninsured motorist coverage. So, what happens if you don’t have either? You may be able to seek compensation by going to court.
