Who pays for a crash?

[michelem]

As far as I know, CA is not, and has never been, a no-fault insurance state. I believe we operate under the modern tort system. Basically, the traffic victim’s opportunity to secure compensation for his/her losses depends
on his/her ability to establish the fault or negligence of the other driver. That driver’s potential liability is backed by compulsory liability insurance, up to a limited amount. Even if the driver is negligent, the victim’s recovery can be reduced to take the victim’s contributory negligence, if any, into account. I'm pretty darned sure we have uninsured motorist laws on the books though!