What do I do if I'm hit by a driver with no car insurance?

Get the driver's contact information and call your car insurance agent or company. Whether you can file a claim on your car insurance depends on the type of coverage you purchased.

Did you suffer injuries in the accident? If you live in a state with no-fault auto insurance, you have to file a claim for your medical expenses with your own car insurance company regardless of who is to blame for an accident. In this case you would file a claim on your medical payments or personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which pays for the treatment of injuries you and the passengers of your car suffer. PIP also covers lost wages.

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You can also file a claim on your uninsured motorist coverage, which pays for medical expenses if the other driver is uninsured or you're the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

To pay for repairs to your vehicle, you have two car insurance options:

1. File a claim on your uninsured motorist property damage insurance. This is a separate type of coverage from uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist property damage coverage pays for your car repairs if you're hit by an uninsured driver.
2. File a claim on your collision coverage. Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle from a collision with another car or object or as a result of flipping over. You'll still need to pay the deductible if you file a claim on collision coverage, but your insurance company may try to recoup the costs, including a refund of the deductible, from the at-fault driver.

Yet another option is to take the other driver to court to recoup your expenses; however, it might be difficult to get money out of someone who couldn't afford car insurance.

For more, see the benefits of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and how to buy uninsured motorist property-damage coverage.