{"id":5726,"date":"2021-07-02T12:53:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T19:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/?p=5726"},"modified":"2021-07-02T12:53:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T19:53:36","slug":"car-accident-without-insurance-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.costulessdirect.com\/blog\/car-accident-without-insurance-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Pays for a Car Accident If You Don\u2019t Have Insurance in California?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Car accidents are stressful and traumatic enough, even when everyone has insurance. Read on to find out what happens if you\u2019re involved in a car accident in California and don\u2019t have auto liability insurance<\/a>, as well as what to do at the scene of the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not at fault for an accident and don\u2019t have insurance, you can expect to receive a ticket for driving without adequate coverage. Depending on whether you\u2019ve been caught without insurance before, you could be fined up to $500. When you factor in additional penalties and fees, you could be paying up to $1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, you could face license suspension for up to four years and be required to file an SR-22 certificate<\/a>. All of this will lead to paying a much higher premium than you would have paid if you already had an active policy at the time of the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as paying for damages, if you\u2019re not at fault, then it\u2019s the other driver who pays for a car accident if you don\u2019t have insurance. You\u2019re entitled to make a claim<\/a> with the other driver\u2019s insurance company to cover your medical bills as well as repair costs for your car. Under California law, you can choose the body shop<\/a> where the repairs are done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do cause an accident and don\u2019t have insurance, the consequences are even more serious. In addition to all of the fines and penalties above, you\u2019re still legally responsible for covering medical bills and repair costs. But instead of making a claim with your insurance company, the other driver can sue you in court. That means you\u2019ll also need to pay for an attorney, and you may be found liable for additional damages such as lost wages, emotional distress, and future medical bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other driver may have uninsured motorist coverage (UMC). This type of coverage helps compensate the other driver when you\u2019re at fault for an accident but don\u2019t have any auto insurance. And after the other driver makes a claim with their UMC insurance company, the insurance company may decide to sue you for the money they had to pay! But keep in mind that UMC coverage is optional in California, and you can still be sued for the medical and repair costs that go beyond the UMC policy limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re involved in a car accident in California and don\u2019t have insurance, here are the steps you should take after the accident. Remember that your primary goal right after the accident is to make sure everyone is safe and that the police arrive to take over. Only later should you be thinking about who pays for a car accident if you don\u2019t have insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don\u2019t have insurance and the accident wasn\u2019t your fault, stay at the scene of the accident. California has tough hit-and-run laws<\/a>, especially if you injure or kill another person. If you knowingly cause property damage and leave the scene, then you can be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to six months in jail. This is on top of paying for the damage you caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you knowingly injure a person and leave the scene, the consequences are much more serious. You can face a fine of up to $10,000 and up to three years in prison. If you kill or seriously injure someone, then you\u2019ll be charged with a felony hit-and-run, which can result in even more prison time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWho Pays for a Car Accident If You Don\u2019t Have Insurance and You\u2019re Not at Fault?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who Pays for a Car Accident If You Don\u2019t Have Insurance and You\u2019re at Fault?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What to Do If You\u2019re in a Car Accident and You Don\u2019t Have Insurance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t Leave the Scene<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Check for Injuries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n