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What happens if I have an accident with no insurance?

On Behalf of | Jun 30, 2020 | Car Accidents |

If you get into a car crash and you do not have insurance, you might begin to panic. Driving without liability insurance is illegal in Indiana and can lead to substantial fines. To add to your legal troubles, you might also find that when you do begin hunting for car insurance, the premiums become insanely high.

If the other driver is a fault, then you might manage to avoid paying high fees. However, state laws might place limitations on how much money you can reclaim in damages because of the no-insurance issue.

No pay, no play

There are several states with no pay, no play laws and Indiana is one of them. According to NerdWallet, these are the states that limit what you can recoup from an at-fault driver if you became involved in a crash and have no insurance.

These states also often place restrictions on the type of damages you can sue for. More specifically, you lose the ability to sue for damages you cannot convert directly into dollar amounts. These include mental suffering, emotional distress and physical pain.

You might also need to pay a large deductible before you have the opportunity to sue for the cost of damage to your own property. These are often so high that you might not be able to meet that deductible.

Caught but no accident

You don’t need to get into an accident for law enforcement to discover that you are driving without insurance. Officers might discover this information if you get pulled over. When this happens in Indiana, you might face the following consequences:

  • License suspension of up to a year with reinstatement fees at around $150 for the first offense
  • License suspension of one year for second violations and onward within a five-year period and a $225 reinstatement fee
  • For the third offense, license suspension of one year, a registration suspension of up to a year and a reinstatement fee of $300

If you do not currently have insurance, it is best not to operate a vehicle unless there is a serious emergency. Even then, should you get into an accident caused by someone else, you might find it difficult to reclaim damages and get the financial compensation you need.

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