It is often difficult to recoup your medical bills if you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage to protect yourself.
It isn’t easy to recoup a settlement against an uninsured or underinsured party because, generally, if they don’t have insurance, it means they’re not protecting any assets. If you sue them, there’s nothing really to go after.
Even if you did win a judgment in California, they would be able to protect their home with the Homestead Provision, which allows them to protect from anywhere from $300,000 of equity up to $600,000 of equity if they’re married, depending on the value of the house.