More than 20 drivers a day in Omaha are caught and later convicted of driving without insurance. The numbers indicate chances are good you could be in an accident caused by someone unable to pay for damages or medical bills.

A Christmas Eve crash left Larry Berray limping into the new year both physically and financially. “It's even worse when the guy doesn't even respond or call, let us know if he's got insurance, this can be taken care of. I'm paying for it all out of my insurance and out of my pocket."

The police report says Steven Cox of Council Bluffs had no proof of insurance when allegedly driving drunk on South 84th Street near Interstate 80. Cox was also cited for running a red light and slamming into Larry's pickup.

The final cost for body work, including replacing the airbags was about $7,000. Larry has uninsured motorist coverage, but that won't pay for everything.

He's paying a $250 deductible and even more in uncovered medical bills. So he's hired an attorney to pursue the uninsured driver in civil court.

"Go to court and you find people all the time in court who have no insurance at all,” says attorney John Wieland. “They get picked up for it, they have no insurance."

Berray's case is not unusual. Ask body shop owner John Kinney. “We're getting to the point we're seeing it almost weekly of
somebody hitting somebody and they either drove off or didn't have insurance."

Berray says a drinking driver not carrying any proof of insurance can't feel his pain with just a slap on the wrist. "Yes, they need stiffer fines."

Having no insurance rarely brings jail time. The city prosecutor's office tells Channel 6 News that the usual fine for driving without proof of insurance is $100, followed by an order to get coverage.

If involved in a crash, uninsured drivers lose their license and are ordered to pay restitution. The uninsured driver in this case did not return our phone call.

Some 7,500 people were caught driving in Omaha without insurance in 2007.