Uninsured at time of crash (not my fault) — does a witness statement still help me?
So I'm in a really stressful situation and could use some perspective from people who've been through something similar.
About six weeks ago I was driving a car that had recently been transferred to me by a family member. Long story short, I didn't realize the liability coverage on it had been quietly dropped — I assumed everything was still active. Obviously I know now that I should have confirmed that myself before getting behind the wheel, and I've been beating myself up about it.
Here's the thing though: the accident was not my fault. I was heading straight through a green light when another driver blew through the intersection from the cross street. No time to brake, no time to do anything. The impact was pretty bad — my car is totaled and I've got some soft tissue stuff I'm dealing with.
The responding officers took my statement and cleared me of any violation. The other driver was taken away by ambulance so they couldn't interview him at the scene. What gives me a little hope is that a woman who lives right at that corner told one of the officers she saw the whole thing and that the other driver ran the light. That statement ended up in a supplemental report rather than the main crash report.
My question is: does a third-party witness statement like that actually carry weight if I pursue this? And does my lapsed coverage hurt me in terms of going after the other driver for damages?
I'm not even sure if small claims is the right move or if I should be looking at something else entirely. I genuinely don't know where to start and I feel really overwhelmed. Any experience or thoughts appreciated — even just knowing others have navigated something like this helps.