Uninsured Driver - The vehicle laws in the United States

You must insure your vehicle in order to drive on the roads of the United States. The vehicle laws in the United States need drivers to carry auto insurance coverages while driving on the roads for their safety. Almost every insurance company issues an insurance card, make sure you take your card before going somewhere in your car. If you are driving someone else’s car, you must take the owner’s card to remain covered if you get into an accident or pulled over by the police on the road.

If you couldn’t show the proof of your coverage to the police when you asked, then you can be convicted for not having the insurance or for the violation of traffic rules. And if you get offense of driving uninsured vehicle or ‘failure to carry proof of insurance’, then the fine could be up to $130 till $1,000. The amount of fine also depends on the court, it can be bigger or lesser than the said amount, whatever the court decides.

In some serious cases of accidents, your driving license can also be canceled by DMV. Moreover, DMV can suspend your driving license for a year and make you purchase insurance to get your license back. Not only that, you need to ask your insurance company to give you a ‘SR-22 certificate’ and then you have to submit it to the DMV as proof that you have got insurance.

What happens after an accident with an uninsured driver?

In case, if you get into an accident and neither the other driver nor you are insured, then the police will possibly label you a citation for driving uninsured. You will be then getting into trouble with DMV, and you have to purchase the insurance to get your license back. The citation should remain attached for three years in your file as the law says.

If you are uninsured and get sued for causing injuries, damages to property/ vehicle by other driver, then you have to pay the claimed money within 60 days. Until you pay the claimed money, your license will remain suspended. The injured person can also take the judgment from the court to get the claimed amount from your paychecks or bank accounts.

If you are not an at-fault driver and also insured, but the other driver is uninsured, then you have two ways to move ahead. First, you can contact your insurer and inform them about the details and damages. They will help and guide you with the claim and paperwork, if you want, and advised to make a formal claim.

Second, you can have the option of making the deal privately with the other driver. If the driver agrees on paying the cost of your damage and repairs, then simply take more than one quotes and present the best ones to the driver and have the deal closed. Settling of cash between the parties outside the court is legal, but make sure to inform everything to your insurance company to comply with the clause of ‘duty of disclosure’ stated in the insurance coverage policies.

Along with the several advantages of having insurance coverage of a vehicle, you have multiple options for getting insurance coverage for your vehicle.

Personal injury policy

New Jersey and New York along with some other states have no-fault laws regarding car accidents. That means regardless of who was the reason behind the accident, both drivers have to bear their own medical bills according to their PIP (personal injury protection) limit from the insurer. This coverage will cover you in case of any minor accident.

Collision Insurance

If you get a liability-only policy, then you may not possibly have collision coverage. A collision coverage policy provides the damage compensation done to your vehicle after an accident. Most drivers use this coverage to cover the damages they caused. If you get into an accident and the other driver does not have the liability coverage, then the collision insurance will provide you the compensation for the damages done to your own vehicle.

Uninsured motorist Coverage

Uninsured coverage protects you when you get injuries after an accident and the other driver is uninsured. New Jersey drivers (maybe not applicable for other states) should carry $15,000 uninsured motorist coverage on their policies. This coverage will protect you against your personal injuries, damages to the property, and the compensation for the sufferings in an accident.