What happens when the at-fault driver dies?

If the party that caused your accident passed away, you may still be able to collect compensation for your damages from that driver’s insurance company or their estate.

Keep reading to learn more about what happens when the at-fault driver dies. From there, an Athens car accident lawyer is standing by to provide you with a risk-free case evaluation.

Call (706) 995-7547 now.

You May Still Have a Claim

The Other Driver’s Insurance

The insurance of the other driver is in place to cover the costs associated with accidents experienced, and potentially caused by, the other driver.

If a driver dies in an accident that they caused, their insurance will potentially still be active to cover your costs and damages. Your Athens car accident lawyer can advise you on your options here.

The Other Driver’s Estate

If the other driver died in the accident, their resources will go into their estate.

An Athens car accident lawyer can pursue the damages associated with your injuries through a lawsuit against the estate of the at-fault driver, which requires knowledge of local court procedure and case precedent.

When the At-Fault Driver Dies, This Is How Claims Settle

Generally, when you have been injured in an accident caused by someone or something else, you will be pursuing compensation from their insurance company.

While it would be ideal if your compensation happened automatically, this is not the case. To collect on your damages, you must prove them with evidence, then submit that evidence in the form of a claim to the insurance company.

The insurance company will then put their full-time teams of claim analysts and attorneys to carefully scrutinize your claim to find reasons why they can reject it, or pay less on it than you are seeking.

If your initial claim does not result in a fair offer of settlement, you may appeal the claim and may need to bring the insurance company to court.

What if the insurance claim can’t be settled?

Insurance companies work to make a profit like any other for-profit company – by maximizing revenues and minimizing costs.

Revenues for the insurance company are the premiums they collect from clients, while their costs are the amounts they pay out to injured parties like you.

Insurance companies deny whichever claims they can, and pay as little as possible on those they approve. Insurance companies have even been known to deny rightful claims in an effort at reducing payment or avoiding it altogether.

If the insurance claim can’t be settled, you’ll have to bring your claim in the form of a lawsuit. This requires that the claim be put together in line with the rules of your local courts and submitted in the proper format. Your Athens car accident lawyer handles this for you every step of the way. Call (706) 995-7547 to learn more.

What happens if the at-fault driver didn’t have insurance?

If the at-fault driver did not have insurance, your Athens car accident lawyer will consider the options available to achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

Generally, the choice will be between pursuing your damages from the estate of the driver, or from your own insurance company through uninsured motorist coverage.

Don’t Assume You’re Out of Options if the At-Fault Driver Dies

Just because the driver that caused your accidents and injuries died in the accident does not mean that you and your family will have to cover all the associated costs of your injuries.

Insurance coverage does not disappear the moment a driver dies, and their liability may be carried over into their estate if their insurance is insufficient or unwilling to cover your damages.

With years of experience representing car accident victims, Athens Car Accident Lawyers is ready to advocate for your best interests. Call (706) 995-7547 or visit our site to schedule a consultation now!