Uninsured Vehicle and Hit-and-Run Accident Victim?… The Government Will Assist You

Uninsured and Hit-and-Run Car Accident Government Compensation Project Promotional Material (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The government is taking active measures to support victims of uninsured or hit-and-run accidents.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 18th that it provided 6.7 billion KRW in support to 1,547 victims of uninsured and hit-and-run car accidents during the first half of this year, and also provided 8.6 billion KRW to 8,901 low-income individuals who suffered severe aftereffects from car accidents.

The Ministry currently operates a car accident victim support fund under the "Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act," implementing government guarantee projects and victim support programs. Accordingly, in cases of death or injury caused by uninsured or hit-and-run car accidents, insurance payments such as medical expenses are provided up to 150 million KRW for death and 30 million KRW for injury.

The accident party or their heirs can apply for compensation by submitting a medical certificate (or autopsy report), a confirmation letter from the head of the local police station detailing the victim's personal information and accident details (Traffic Accident Fact Confirmation), and other documents to one of the 10 major car insurance companies in the market.

According to the government, the number of uninsured and hit-and-run car accidents is on a downward trend due to increased mandatory insurance subscription rates and the expanded distribution of closed-circuit (CC) TVs and black boxes. Consequently, the number of compensation cases under the government guarantee project has also been decreasing annually. The number of victims applying for government guarantee projects dropped from 5,137 in 2015 to 3,196 last year, and further down to 1,547 in the first half of this year, indicating a high possibility of further decline.

The Ministry also provides economic support such as rehabilitation and living expenses, along with emotional support programs like psychological stabilization, to low-income families who have suffered death or severe aftereffects from car accidents.

Accident victims, their surviving children, and dependents can apply for support by submitting an application form along with documents proving the car accident, aftereffects, and financial circumstances to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

As of the first half of this year, about 5,408 households and 8,700 individuals are receiving economic support due to car accident damages, according to the Ministry. The Ministry explained that the overall support performance for car accident victims is continuously decreasing as the number of deaths or severe aftereffects from car accidents declines. Support was provided to 18,035 people amounting to 31.483 billion KRW in 2015, but this decreased to 9,679 people and 18.09 billion KRW last year.

Automobile Accident Victim Family Support Program Promotional Material (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

Meanwhile, since 2014, the Ministry has been operating the National Transportation Rehabilitation Hospital to provide intensive and specialized rehabilitation treatment services for subacute patients in the early functional recovery stage 2 to 3 months after onset, to help them return quickly to daily life.

Currently, Seoul National University Hospital is entrusted with its operation, running eight medical departments including internal medicine, as well as disease-specific rehabilitation centers, offering specialized rehabilitation programs such as one-on-one intensive rehabilitation treatment and home adaptation training.

In particular, it is equipped with superior facilities compared to other rehabilitation hospitals, including driving rehabilitation facilities using simulators and virtual reality (VR), and zero-gravity treadmills and robotic facilities for gradual muscle strengthening.

Victims of uninsured or hit-and-run accidents or low-income families suffering severe aftereffects from car accidents can receive assistance by calling the integrated call center for automobile accident victim support.

Lee Joong-gi, Director of the Automobile Operation Insurance Division at the Ministry, stated, "As public awareness of traffic safety improves, serious large-scale car accidents causing severe injuries or deaths due to uninsured or hit-and-run incidents are continuously decreasing." However, he added, "Still, about 3,000 victims of uninsured and hit-and-run accidents occur annually, and approximately 8,000 people face economic difficulties due to car accidents each year. We urge everyone to practice safe driving to protect themselves and their families."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.