How to Find Out if Someone Has Car Insurance in San Diego, CA?

The rate of car accidents in San Diego is on the rise. While you’ll hopefully never be involved in one, it’s important to understand your rights after a car accident.

Your car accident may have been the result of someone else’s negligence. California is an at-fault state for car accidents. That means you can pursue compensation for your medical bills and other losses by filing an injury claim against the negligent party’s insurer. 

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to recover compensation if the driver who caused your accident doesn’t have insurance. Although California law requires drivers to carry liability insurance, some still drive without it. It’s also possible to be involved in an accident with a driver from a different state without the same insurance requirements.

There are several ways to confirm whether a driver is insured. They include the following:

Asking at the Scene

After a car accident, you should exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the accident. This is the quickest way to determine whether another driver is insured.

Incidentally, California law doesn’t require drivers to share their insurance information with others when accidents occur. Consequently, a driver may refuse to provide this information after an accident. Fortunately, there are other ways to learn if a negligent driver has insurance.

Calling the Police

California drivers involved in car accidents that result in injury, death, or a minimum of $1,000 in property damage must report their accidents to the police. It’s best to report an accident as soon as possible. You want an officer to arrive at the scene and document the accident sooner rather than later. If you’re not sure whether an accident is severe enough to require contacting the police, err on the side of caution and report it.

Another driver doesn’t have to give you their insurance information after an accident in California, but they are required to provide it to law enforcement. Therefore, you can call the police to ask for the driver’s insurance information after an officer begins working on their official report.

Call the police even if your accident was a hit-and-run. Law enforcement may find the driver later. You might be able to provide evidence, such as their license plate number or a description of their vehicle, that could help the police locate the hit-and-run driver.

Visit the Department of Motor Vehicles

Requesting information about another driver’s insurance from the DMV is another option to consider. However, the DMV doesn’t always grant such requests. You must provide them with a valid reason for accessing someone’s insurance information. You must also provide a significant amount of information about their identity. 

Call the Insurance Company

It’s common for car accident victims to feel disoriented after their wreck. Victims might make mistakes when asking for or providing information.

Suppose another driver agrees to give you their insurance information, but you forget to take down the policy number.  You might have the name of the insurance company and the name and contact information of the driver. In this case, you could call the insurance company to ask about the driver’s policy.

Contact a San Diego Personal Injury Attorney for Help

Hiring a personal injury attorney is another way to determine your options after a crash. Your attorney will conduct an investigation into your crash to gather evidence and locate liable parties. Part of this process is to examine the insurance coverages for those who caused your accident.

An attorney can use their skill and resources to obtain information about a negligent party’s insurance. They can also maximize your chances of recovering full compensation for your injuries.

Please call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation with a personal injury attorney or contact us online.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in San Diego or Chula Vista, please call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer or contact us online.

We proudly serve San Diego County and throughout California.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers
2515 Camino del Rio S Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 777-5555

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – Chula Vista Office
690 Otay Lakes Rd #130, Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 722-3032

We also serve the state of Texas. Contact our personal injury law office in El Paso for legal assistance today.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – El Paso Office
201 E Main Suite 106, El Paso, Texas 79901
(915) 591-1000