Maryland insurance laws require vehicle owners to buy insurance policies for their cars. The reason for this requirement isn’t far-fetched. If you get into a car accident, the accident victims can recover compensation from your insurance coverage. So, you wouldn’t have to pay damages out-of-pocket.
Therefore, by having insurance, you’re protecting yourself and the other driver. Unfortunately, some drivers in Maryland still don’t have insurance. If you’re one such driver, it’s essential to know the implications of your inaction. Furthermore, if you get into a car accident without insurance, it’ll be best to hire a Maryland car accident lawyer.
What Happens if I Have an Accident Without Insurance?
The consequences of getting into a car accident without any insurance coverage depend on who caused the crash.
What If I’m the Injured Victim?
Many times, it’s the accident victim that doesn’t have any insurance coverage. Therefore, many such victims are scared that the lack of insurance will bar their rights to compensation. However, not having insurance cannot prevent you from claiming damages from the fault party in a Maryland car accident.
You can still proceed against the responsible driver’s insurer. Conversely, you can institute civil action against the driver. The courts will not bar your claim because you don’t have insurance. Your lack of insurance wouldn’t even be admissible as evidence in court. Therefore, it wouldn’t work against you.
However, a car accident claim will inevitably expose your lack of insurance. Consequently, the authorities may come after you for disobeying the law. For instance, you may have to pay a fine or face a citation. Therefore, it’d be best to never drive without vehicle insurance.
What If I Caused the Accident?
If you’re the injured party in a car accident where you didn’t have insurance, you’re lucky. However, it’s different if you’re the fault party without insurance. Since you’re the fault party, the injured victim will want to proceed against you. However, they’ll be unable to get any money from an insurer that you don’t have.
Their only option would be to file a claim with their insurers. They can successfully claim under the uninsured motorist terms of their policies. However, they may still institute a civil action against you in court. If they win the case, you’ll have to pay from your personal funds.
The Other Party’s Insurer’s Rights Against You
Even if the victim’s insurer settles them, the company can still sue you to recover their expenses. Although they may not get all their money, they’ll try to claim as much as they can from you. Therefore, it would help if you bought insurance policies on your vehicles. This way, you don’t have to worry about paying compensation if you cause a car accident.
Legal Consequences of Driving Without Insurance in Maryland
Whether or not you get into an accident, it’s an offense to drive without insurance in Maryland. So, you could face both legal and administrative fines for driving without insurance. This will also be the case where you refused to renew your insurance after it elapsed.
For instance, if you’re a first offender, you may face fines of up to $1,000. You’ll also pay administrative fees of $150 for the first 30 days. After that, you’ll pay $7 for each extra day. This fine can climb up to $2,000 if you commit a second violation. Moreover, driving without insurance gets you points on your license and possible jail time.
Other Punishments
Furthermore, you can also lose your vehicle license plates and registration privileges. At this stage, you must then pay a restoration fee of up to $25 to reclaim your registration. Finally, you cannot register any future vehicles until you settle your insurance violation obligations. You cannot even renew any previously suspended registration until you pay your fines.
Maryland Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You If You Suffer a Crash Without Insurance
Have you survived a car accident without insurance? If so, as long as you aren’t the fault party, you can still recover compensation. It is inconsequential that you don’t have any car insurance policy.
However, you’ll need a good Maryland car accident attorney to prove that you aren’t at fault. This is because insurance companies often don’t trust drivers who don’t have insurers. Therefore, they’ll try hard to prove that you’re responsible for the crash.
However, if we represent you, you wouldn’t have to worry about this issue. Pinder Plotkin, LLC, lawyers have an excellent track record of winning car accident claims in very complex situations. So, we’re confident that we can win this too. Therefore, it’ll be best to call us today for a consultation on your case.
