Title: What to do when the other driver has no insurance
I totally agree about documenting everything, even if it feels like you’re being over the top. I had a friend who thought he was being “nice” by not calling the cops after a minor scrape in a parking lot. The other driver seemed apologetic and gave him a phone number, but—surprise—the number was fake. He ended up paying for his own repairs because there was no police report and nothing for his insurance to go on. Lesson learned the hard way.
I’ve never actually heard of anyone getting money back from an uninsured driver without some kind of legal push. It sounds good in theory—like, maybe you could just work it out between yourselves—but in reality, if someone’s driving without insurance, there’s a good chance they don’t have the cash to pay you either. Even if you get their info and they admit fault, what’s to stop them from ghosting you? It just seems like a huge hassle.
One thing I wonder about is whether anyone’s ever had luck with small claims court in these situations. I’ve read mixed things—some folks say it’s not worth the time, others swear by it. But then you’re still stuck tracking the person down and hoping they actually pay up if you win. Has anyone actually gone that route and gotten their money? Or is it just another headache?
It’s wild how many people are out there with no insurance, honestly. Makes me glad I pay extra for uninsured motorist coverage... even though it feels like one more thing on the bill every month. But after seeing what my friend went through, I’m not taking any chances.
Had a run-in with this exact scenario a couple years back—except it was my wife’s car, not mine, and of course it had to be the one week she borrowed my S-Class for a work event. She got rear-ended at a stoplight, nothing major, but enough to mess up the bumper and sensors. The guy who hit her seemed genuinely sorry, but when she asked for his insurance, he just shrugged and said he didn’t have any. Gave her his info, but I was skeptical from the start.
We called the police right there. I know some people feel awkward about it, but honestly, with the price of repairs on these cars, I wasn’t about to take any chances. The officer was pretty clear: without insurance, there’s not much recourse except through our own policy or small claims court. We filed everything with our insurance under uninsured motorist coverage. Still had to pay the deductible upfront, but at least we weren’t stuck footing the whole bill.
I did look into small claims court out of curiosity—mostly because I was annoyed at having to pay anything for someone else’s mistake. But after reading up on it and talking to a friend who’s a lawyer, it sounded like more trouble than it was worth. Even if you win, collecting is another story entirely. If someone doesn’t have insurance, odds are they don’t have much in assets either.
Honestly, paying extra for uninsured motorist coverage feels like a racket sometimes... until you actually need it. Then you’re just relieved you have it. I’d rather grumble about my premiums than stress over chasing down someone who’s already shown they’re not exactly responsible.
One thing I will say: document everything and don’t skip calling the cops—even if it feels like overkill for a fender bender. It’s not just about being “nice”—it’s about protecting yourself when things get messy later on. Learned that lesson early and haven’t regretted it since.
Had a similar headache last year with my 7 Series—barely a scratch, but the parking sensors were toast. Guy who hit me had no insurance either, just a half-hearted apology and a phone number I doubted was real. I get what you mean about uninsured motorist coverage feeling like a scam... until it’s not. Still bugs me that the responsible driver ends up paying more, but chasing someone down in court? Not worth the hassle. Always call the cops, even for minor stuff—learned that the hard way after an old fender bender where I didn’t.
Yeah, it’s wild how fast a “minor” bump turns into a paperwork mess. I’ve seen folks skip the police report thinking it’ll save time, but that almost always backfires—especially when the other driver ghosts you. Uninsured motorist coverage feels like an extra bill until you actually need it. Still, I wish there was a better way to hold people accountable without dragging everyone through court. The system’s not perfect, but documenting everything (photos, witness names, police report) really does help if you have to file a claim later.
Uninsured motorist coverage feels like an extra bill until you actually need it.
Yeah, I used to grumble about that extra charge every renewal, but after a fender bender in Arizona where the other guy just vanished, I was glad I had it. Filing a police report felt like overkill at the time, but it saved me when my insurance asked for proof. I get what you mean about the system being clunky—sometimes it feels like you’re just collecting paperwork for the sake of it.
I do wonder if there’s a way to make things less of a hassle, though. Maybe some kind of digital reporting app? Or a way to check insurance status on the spot? Until then, I guess it’s just “pics or it didn’t happen” and hope your coverage is solid. The whole process makes me double-check my policy before every long trip now.
