What If the At-Fault Driver in My St Louis Crash Has No Auto Insurance?

By The Cagle Law Firm | September 24, 2025 | Car Accidents, Featured, News, Personal Injury, Truck Accidents

While Missouri law requires that all drivers must have a minimum liability policy to operate a motor vehicle in the state of Missouri, it sometimes happens that an at-fault driver in a car accident will fail to have the required auto insurance. When a driver fails to offer proof of insurance or does not have any, there are citations and action taken for licenses suspension.  Those two consequences help you little at the time nor help with compensation for your injuries. Many people call our firm with just this question.  It is a difficult situation especially if you are injured.

If this driver tells you they do not want to call the police to report the crash because they do not have auto insurance, you definitely MUST call the police.  In fact, you should always call the police when a motor vehicle crash occurs.  This is not because you are heartless and have no empathy for someone financially struggling.  You  need the incident report completed by the police so you can file a claim with your own insurance company.

The steps you should take are the same whether or not the at-fault driver has auto insurance:

• Call the police so that an incident report is made.
• Gather information at the scene including driver information and any witness statements
• Take photos of the vehicles at the crash scene
• Seek medical treatment immediately if you are hurt. Serious injuries can be life-changing. Unaddressed injuries can worsen.
• Call a St. Louis car accident attorney right away
• We have an free app that helps you follow the steps in a stressful situation.  Injury Attorney

An Uninsured At-Fault Driver

You and the other driver may dispute who is at fault.  Thus, all the more reason to call the police so the crash is documented.  Hopefully, you have auto insurance.  You can make what is a called an “Uninsured motorist claim”.  An uninsured motorist claim can be made with your own insurance should the other party not have insurance of if it is a hit-and-run.  In order to make that claim, an incident report is often required.  An experienced attorney will evaluate that policy report and look for the driver’s possible coverage (in case they just did not want to tell you) or perhaps there is a different owner of the vehicle and they may have coverage. Either way, you need to report it to your own auto insurance carrier.

No, it does not seem fair.  We understand that.  However, once the situation has occurred, you are trying to figure out how you can get the compensation needed for medical bills if you are injured.  Your insurance carrier may then sue the other driver personally. Generally, our attorneys do not sue a driver personally because there is a common theme.  Individuals who do not have the resources to insure their vehicles, generally do not own a lot of things free and clear for you to sue personally and actually collect.  If you have auto insurance, let your auto insurance pursue that avenue with the at-fault driver.  You pay full-coverage premiums for your insurance so they can handle getting their funds back.  You’ve been paying for that service every time you pay full coverage premiums.

How Can A Car Accident Attorney Help You When the Other Driver is Uninsured?

When you are making an injury claim under your uninsured motorist coverage, your own insurance carrier is not more apt to be concerned about you getting full compensation.  In that situation, you will need an attorney to build your injury claim and fight for the maximum compensation owed to you.  We know, it seems odd that you would have to fight your own insurance carrier when you have paid premiums for many years.  It is very much a common thing.  In fact, if you are injured, you should not even talk to them about your injuries.  You simply say, “I’m hurt and I’m treating” to preserve your right to the uninsured motorist claim.  At that same time or before, you should contact our attorneys for full explanation and evaluation of your case.

We Protect Injured People From Insurance Carriers

One of our primary goals as car and truck accident attorneys is protecting our clients from the methods and tactics of insurance carriers whether it is another driver’s insurance company or yours.  In every case we take whether it results in settlement or litigation, our ultimate opponent is the auto insurance carrier.  We sue insurance companies.  When it comes to injuries,  your insurance company will not be any easier to deal with than another driver’s insurance carrier.  The only difference is that they talk to you as if they are on your side.

When it comes to compensation, it is not just an amount of money you would “like” to have. Instead, when you are injured, it is compensation you need.  Even if you have good health insurance, medical bills get out of hand quickly.  MRI’s, therapy and surgery can easily become $100,000 in bills. Meanwhile, if you are hurt, you may miss work or loss your job altogether.  It is a traumatic event in your life.  Feeling like you are navigating it on your own and hope you are doing it correctly, does not usually calm much anxiety.  It is what we do and we handle the legal anxiety for you so that you can focus on your physical recovery

Each Crash Brings Questions

Each crash is unique as the people involved. Your injury and your life is not exactly the same as others and personal attention to your needs is only expected but deserved.  It is incredibly difficult to be injured and have to go through a lot of medical treatment due to no fault of your own.  It’s frustrating and there are bouts with anger, understandably.  Frustration will only increase when you try to negotiate with your insurance carrier where they make you run around town to all of your doctors and upload your records so they can devalue your claim.  Don’t do that to yourself.  Whatever you decide, our attorneys provide free case evaluations.

Call us toll free 1.800.685.3302 or locally 314.276.1681

“Why do I need underinsured motorist coverage?”  See a short video from 2013–young lawyer-Zane) explaining the importance of “underinsured motorist coverage” which is a well kept secret in the insurance sales business.

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The Cagle Law Firm

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