op just bought the car, you can't exactly get insurance immediately.

You can, and you should.

Depends where you are I suppose. In Australia you can get insurance immediately, All you do is ring the insurance company give them the car details and away you go even before you drive it. Also the usual practice with accidents is that you claim with your insurance and they chase whoever is at fault. Other than claiming you don't have to do anything.

In Canada, it's illegal to drive without insurance. In Alberta where insurance is public, you have to provide proof of insurance before you can register your car and get your license plate so you either have to go to the insurance company in person or call them and have them fax a copy of your insurance policy over to you. Then you go to the registration office, get your license plate and then you can finally drive for the first time.

In the US, you can get insurance over the phone or online, and the coverage is instant. And it's illegal to drive without insurance, no exceptions. So you actually need to have it BEFORE you drive home in the car you just bought. It's a strict rule, but it often prevents situations like OP's. Not sure how it works in the UK though, anyone from across the pond want to chime in?

While it is necessary to have insurance in the US, it is not always necessary in order to buy a vehicle. If you purchase from a car salesman or a private party, they cannot stop you from leaving without insurance. Dealerships also don't require you to have it before you drive off, it's the lean company that requires you to have it as to protect their investment. They will not finance your vehicle unless it is insured in the chance something happens to the vehicle, they need to be able to get back the money they lent you, hence why you are required to have "full coverage" when getting a loan, to cover all possible things that could damage the car. It's part of the loan companies contract with you that you agree to. Also, just having insurance does not cover you. If you do not have the proper coverage, you can still be up shit creek. In this case, the other person has no insurance so there is no insurance company for yours to sue for cost of damages. If OP does not have Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage, then the only option they have to reclaim the money for damages is to directly sue the at fault party themselves.

Yeah in Australia we have two different types of insurance. Third party which covers personal injury only which is compulsory, you can't register the car without it, and the normal insurance being either comprehensive or third party, (property or theft), which is not compulsory.

Sorry, just to add that the third party injury , its the vehicle which is insured not the driver so if you sell the vehicle the insurance goes with it as long as it's registered.

UK here! for anyone that wanted to know. You can do insurance online and it's effective immediately. So it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours (if you're searching around for the best deal). Also legally you would have to insure it before driving it home...It's a legal requirement, you don't carry on the previous owners insurance. However I get the impression the OP was insured as they said they were written off by an uninsured driver rather than they personally weren't insured.

In the UK all cars driven on the road must have a valid Mot certificate (safety), tax and insurance. Third Party - will pay for the damage tonthe other persons car. Third party, fire and theft - as above plud pay for your car in the event of a fire theft Comprehensive - will payout uf your car is damaged and the other car(s). If you are a driver who has third party or third party fire and theft and an illegal uninsured driver hits you then your stuck with a bill

Read it again. OP was hit by an uninsured driver.

No, it's a legal requirement to have insurance in the UK too

It's very easy to buy a car and not insure it. If buying from a dealership I imagine they would help sort out your insurance for you, but from a car salesman or buying from a random person most people just assume. You can also not renew your insurance, or just be driving someone else's car. If you get stopped by police they will check the insurance, but that's about it, you can get away with no insurance for quite a while unfortunately. Also, being London, the car was either stolen or driven by a foreign driver.

I'm from Texas as well, specifically the valley. You'd be surprised at the number of uninsured (and often unlicensed for that matter) drivers there are here. Many dealers that aren't part of a franchise don't bother checking on insurance, and even those that are have salespeople that if you know someone will often overlook the lack of insurance.

Actually you need insurance before you drive any car in the US period. Federal law.

When you buy a car in the UK there's a special buyers insurance that lasts for a day or two that allows you to drive the purchased car to your home so you can sort out fully comprehensive insurance. I believe OP is saying though the other person involved in the accident was uninsured so they're both screwed since he can't make a proper insurance claim.

in Texas you have 30 days to insure a vehicle. and if you currently have auto insurance on another vehicle, you can claim the one you just bought as well. I've wrecked a car the same day I bought it and had everything covered

It's the other person who had no insurance. OP didn't specify if they did or not. I doubt OP's insurance would cover a replacement vehicle regardless.

Idk what it is like in the UK, but there are a lot of insurance companies in America that won't pay for an uninsured driver unless you pay extra for "uninsured motorist coverage" or something along those lines.

I don't know about in the UK, but here in the US you can buy insurance through your auto insurer that covers damage caused by uninsured drivers, or you can file a lawsuit against the uninsured driver for the damage. Or both.

When you are hit by someone who does not have insurance, you have a couple of options: 1. If you have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage, this acts as the person at fault's insurance if they don't have any or have enough to cover the cost of damages. Your insurance pays the claim for you (up to the limits you have) and then sues the guilty party for their money back. If your limits don't cover it fully, you are responsible for the remainder and how you obtain it is your problem. You can either just eat your loss or sue the guilty party yourself. Your insurance company can only go after what they pay out and nothing more. 2. If you DON'T have this coverage, it is up to you to sue the guilty party for cost of damages. A lot of people do not go this route because you have to hire your own lawyers, pay court costs, etc. until you settle with the other party. It's not a short process and can initially be costly as you will need to pay your fees and such as you go. Usually, you are suing for cost of damages + fees. Generally, the other party does not have the money to cover these costs so chances are, you will not see the full reimbursement for a while, if ever at all. It will come out of them as wage garnishments, property repossessions, etc. This can take time. Sorce: My wife and I work in automotive insurance.

Thanks for explaining and excuse my ignorance. I've never had to deal with this. So, doesn't this mean it almost makes more sense NOT to have insurance? If no one's gonna personally sue someone anyway? Unless you're hit by someone else I guess..

#33, that's absolutely not the case. You need coverage for your own losses (can you afford to replace your car on a whim?), and liability. First of all, liability is law, second, if you're hit by someone with insurance, their insurance will sue you, and third, just because it's difficult doesn't mean an individual won't sue you.

Your insurance will pay your damages, then they will chase up the other driver (would be the other driver's insurance company if they had one).

More often than not (depending on your premium), insurance will pay you the damage. However, it is unlikely they'll get their money back and it will likely increase your premium cost for the next 5 years.