Every time you go for a ride in a motor vehicle, you have some risk of getting into a crash. Most people assume that they can protect themselves with a combination of careful driving habits and adequate motor vehicle insurance.
However, the liability-based insurance system in New Mexico means that your financial situation after a collision depends on the insurance that the other driver has. You could potentially get into a wreck caused by a driver without any insurance at all.
How significant are the risks of a collision with an uninsured driver in New Mexico?
New Mexico is one of the worst states for insurance requirement compliance
When compared with the rest of the country, New Mexico has poor traits of drivers maintaining insurance coverage. It may surprise you to learn that New Mexico is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to people driving around without insurance. New Mexico takes the ignoble fourth place in the overall ranking of states by the percentage of uninsured drivers.
A shocking 21.8% of drivers in New Mexico are out on the roads without insurance coverage. When you are in heavy traffic, that means that one in every five drivers you encounter on the road won’t have insurance if they hit your vehicle. If the other driver does not have insurance, you will still have several options after a crash.
Your insurance or a civil lawsuit could help you after a wreck
Given how many people don’t keep active policies on their vehicles in New Mexico, many drivers choose to add uninsured motorist coverage to their policies. If you have this coverage, you can potentially make a claim against your own policy when you get hurt in a crash caused by a driver without insurance.
If you don’t have that coverage or if you still have unpaid bills after making a claim, then you may need to consider filing a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver. A New Mexico personal injury claim could help you take for medical bills and recover the wages you haven’t earned since the crash.
Understanding the risk for a crash with an uninsured driver and knowing your rights if one happens can protect you on the New Mexico roads.
