A Stamford couple is wondering how they will cover the cost of damages to their two cars after another driver smashed into them.

Maria and Brian Palmer say it was a typical Sunday afternoon until a car plowed into the two cars in their driveway and then drove off. The driver also hit Maria Palmer, who was outside at the time and is still using crutches three weeks later. Police were able to catch the driver.

The Palmers are now battling for insurance money for their two badly damaged cars. The other driver's insurance offered them a total of $10,000 to split between both cars. In Connecticut, that's all the coverage drivers are required to carry.

"It's not fair that the limits are so low," says Brian Palmer. 

The state hasn't raised auto insurance limits in decades, and residents like the Palmers are wondering how those amounts can possibly cover today's repair costs. 

Insurance agents like Bill Mallow say lawmakers have considered change. "There's a reluctance to raise the limits because it adds premium, and it means that more people will probably operate without insurance," says Mallow. 

For someone in a similar situation, experts say it's OK to file a claim with your own insurance without worrying that your rates will go up. They say carriers are unlikely to punish you for a crash that wasn't your fault.