Car crashes can be quite expensive. It can cost thousands of dollars to fix your vehicle or even more to replace it. If you or one of your passengers gets hurt, you may have substantial medical bills as well.

In theory, Colorado drivers can make a claim against the liability insurance coverage of the person who caused the crash. However, not everyone follows the law and consistently maintains insurance on their vehicle. How big of a concern is the presence of uninsured drivers on the Colorado roads? 

Colorado has a large number of uninsured drivers

Quite a few people in Colorado fail to maintain the mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance required by state law. They allow their policies to lapse, or they cancel them on purpose for financial reasons.

Colorado has a relatively high number of uninsured drivers on its roads. According to data from 2019 gathered by the Insurance Information Institute, 16.3% of Colorado drivers didn't have insurance on their vehicles. There are only 12 other states with higher rates of uninsured driving. You have a roughly 1 in 6 chance of getting into a crash with an uninsured driver in Colorado based on those 2019 figures. 

What happens when uninsured drivers cause collisions?

If a person without insurance causes a wreck, the other driver won't have coverage for their losses. If the driver not at fault has uninsured motorist coverage on their own policy, they may make a claim against their own insurance. Otherwise, the only solution may be to pursue a civil lawsuit against the uninsured driver.

Knowing how to protect yourself after a car crash can help you take the right steps to get the compensation you need.