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Being hit by someone without insurance can leave you wondering where to turn, which is when an award-winning Washington, DC car accident lawyer becomes essential for understanding what coverage is available. These cases require a closer look at policies, liability, and the options your own insurer may offer, and the right team can help you make sense of it all.
Regan Zambri Long brings almost 200 years of combined experience to every uninsured motorist claim. Our board certified partners are among the nation’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, and we are consistently named as one of the Best Law Firms in America. With over $1 billion in recoveries and 100+ 5 star Google reviews, our car accident lawyer’s reputation reflects the resources and skills we bring to each case. We front all case costs and work with top witnesses, including insurance specialists and medical professionals, to document losses clearly and strengthen your claim.
Have you been injured in a Washington, DC accident caused by an uninsured driver? Contact Regan Zambri Long today, and one of our attorneys will call you back. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there’s no fee unless we win your case.
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One of the first factors in collecting compensation after a car accident is knowing your state’s approach to fault. Some states, including Washington, DC, are no-fault states when it comes to car accidents.
What this means is that your car insurance policy covers your medical bills. The amount you are compensated hinges on how much coverage you carry. You can only bring a personal injury suit against the other driver if your injuries are severe. To recover compensation for vehicle damage, you will file a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance provider.
Other states, including Maryland and Virginia, adhere to more traditional at-fault standards, meaning that the person at fault for an accident is the one whose car insurance will pay the bills (up to the policy coverage limits).
In at-fault states especially, it is important to know what the state’s negligence standards are. Both Virginia and Maryland follow pure contributory negligence standards, meaning that if you contributed to the car crash in any way, you are not eligible to claim compensation.
Although carrying car insurance is required in nearly every state, in 2023 about 15.4% of all drivers were uninsured, according to data collected by the Insurance Research Council. Twenty-one states had higher uninsured motorist coverage rates, including Maryland (16.9%) and the District of Columbia (23.1%). Twenty-nine states had lower rates, including Virginia (12.9%).
When dealing with an uninsured or underinsured driver who is at fault for an accident, compensation may be claimed in several ways.
Your own insurance company will provide some compensation if you purchased uninsured or under-insured motorist coverage. With this coverage, your insurance will help cover medical bills and vehicle repair costs even though you weren’t responsible for the accident.
You may also be able to bring a lawsuit against the liable, uninsured driver, depending on your state or the severity of your injuries. No-fault states such as DC limit personal injury claims to severe accidents.
An experienced car accident attorney will be invaluable for a personal injury claim so you can maximize your compensation and stand the best chance of winning your case.
If you are involved in an accident and you don’t have car insurance, the first thing you should expect is to pay a fine as an uninsured driver.
Most states have mandatory insurance requirements. The minimum amount of car insurance you can carry in Washington, DC is $25,000 per person, with a total maximum of $50,000 per incident. It also covers up to $10,000 for damage to another person’s property.
In a no-fault state like Washington, DC, you will be responsible for your own medical bills unless your injuries are severe enough to file a personal injury claim against the other driver.
If you are the at-fault driver and you are uninsured (or under-insured) you should expect to pay compensation to the other party out-of-pocket, in addition to any fees and fines for violating your state’s car insurance requirements.
An uninsured driver does not carry any insurance policy to cover medical bills and property damages. This driver would be responsible for paying his or her own medical bills in most no-fault states and could be held personally responsible for the other driver’s bills if found to be the at-fault driver.
An underinsured driver carries a policy, but it is insufficient to cover the accident. Determining how much coverage to carry is a balancing act for drivers. In 2022, the average cost of an insurance policy was about $1,127, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Interestingly, while the District of Columbia has the fourth highest average insurance cost in the nation at roughly $1,502, it also had the lowest rate of underinsured drivers in 2023, at just 4.6 %.
Regan Zambri Long’s compassionate car accident attorneys know that a car insurance claim can feel impossible in the aftermath of an accident. That’s why our team is committed to handling as much as possible on your behalf, so you can focus on the important work of recovery.
Your experienced lawyer will manage the paperwork and correspondence with the insurance companies and keep you up-to-date with relevant and important information. We will walk beside you through every step of the claim process and fight for your best interests.
It is in your best interest to hire an attorney for your claim—especially if you have been seriously injured or the other driver is uninsured or under-insured. Legal processes can get complicated quickly, even when things seem straightforward on the surface. An experienced car crash lawyer will help you determine and prove negligence, calculate the cost of your injuries and damages, and fight to hold the liable party accountable for his or her actions.
Choosing the right personal injury lawyer to represent you after a car accident can feel as overwhelming as the prospect of filing your claim. Regan Zambri Long’s team has decades of cumulative experience that we will bring to bear on your case, and that experience is backed by a record of results and recognition that speaks for itself.
Over the last almost 30 years, we have recovered more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for injured clients, and Regan Zambri Long appears every year on Best Lawyers’ list of the Best Law Firms in America. All six of our partners are named among Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America, and individual honors reflect the same level of trust. Patrick Regan has been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of Washington DC’s “Top Ten Power Lawyers,” while Washingtonian Magazine has described him as a “poster boy for legal ethics and integrity.” The publication has also praised Salvatore Zambri as among the “Top 1%” and “one of Washington’s best, most honest and effective lawyers,” and he holds a place on the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Washington, DC list, with both Pat Regan and Paul Cornoni included among the Top 100.
Our team will fight on your behalf and let you focus on recovery and healing. We work on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay anything until we’ve won a recovery or verdict in your favor. An uninsured motorist claim can be complicated, but your legal team shouldn’t be.
Schedule a free case evaluation with us today and take the first step toward the compensation you deserve.
Immediately after a crash with an uninsured driver stay at the scene, call the police, gather the other driver’s information, and document the damage. A police report is essential for uninsured motorist claims under Washington, DC policies.
Yes, if you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage your own insurance will cover you. In DC, this coverage can help pay medical bills and property damage when the other driver cannot.
§12–301 of the DC Code gives most injured drivers three years to file a personal injury claim and three years for property damage. Claims involving a government vehicle or employee have shorter deadlines
You can sue an uninsured driver directly, but recovery may be limited if the driver has few assets. Most residents rely on their uninsured motorist coverage instead, especially in no-fault jurisdictions like Washington, DC.
If the at-fault driver’s policy cannot cover all of your losses, you may seek additional compensation through your own underinsured motorist coverage, which fills the gap up to your policy limits.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.