You pay for insurance to protect yourself in an unpredictable world. There are also legal and contractual obligations that force you to carry insurance. Every Nevada driver has to carry insurance that complies with the state minimum requirements to register a vehicle, and those who have a financed vehicle may need to carry additional insurance to protect their lender as well.
After a car crash, you can turn to your insurance policy and the coverage of the other driver to pay for the expenses the crash causes. Can you count on motor vehicle insurance to fully cover your collision costs in North Dakota?
State requirements may fall short of what you need
North Dakota does require more insurance and more kinds of car insurance than other states, but the mandatory coverage is by no means universally high enough to cover all crash-related expenses.
Drivers will need $25,000 each in bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. They typically need to carry the same amounts in uninsured and underinsured motorist protection. Additionally, the state requires $30,000 in no-fault coverage.
You can make a claim against your own no-fault coverage in a crash caused by another driver and also a claim against their liability coverage. If those two forms of insurance aren’t enough for all your costs, then your underinsured motorist protection will help pay expenses.
If the other driver does not have a policy at all, then your uninsured motorist coverage and no-fault coverage may be the only protection that you have.
What happens when you have uncovered bills?
If your coverage and the policy of the other driver will leave you with expenses that you cannot pay with insurance alone, then you may need to consider bringing a civil lawsuit against the other driver.
Personal injury claims can be an effective way to recoup crash costs if you can show that the other driver was either negligent or violated the law while driving. Sometimes, there may even be third parties who have liability for the crash, such as when a defective car component contributed to the wreck.
Understanding the basics of how North Dakota car insurance works can help you navigate the process of filing claims after a motor vehicle collision.