What Happens If You Allow Your Insurance To Lapse?
Drivers in Florida must have insurance and if you are caught on the road without it, you will face penalties. It doesn’t matter how it happens, whether you never bought insurance or you let it lapse, driving without active coverage is against the law. Proof of insurance is necessary when a Florida resident registers their vehicle. The minimum you must hold in Florida is:
- $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) for bodily injuries.
- $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) for damages you cause to another party’s personal property in an accident.
What Are The Penalties For Uninsured Drivers?
If you are caught driving on the roads in Florida without active insurance, you may have your licenses suspended with your plates and registration took away from you for up to three years. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) will require you to prove you have insurance if you want to avoid having your license taken away. Once you prove you can legally drive in the state it isn’t going to come cheap. Fees you will have to pay can be as expensive as $500 to get your license, plates, and registration back.
When you are in an accident in the state and you are taken to court you may be looking at many negative outcomes. Not only will you have to pay for damages, but you may also have your license and registration suspended for a very long time. The FLHSMV can take your driving priveledges away for up to 20 years. That is not all. If you are a repeat offender of driving uninsured, jail time is often the result.
Insurance In Florida After Car Accidents
As a no-fault state, most parties who are involved in an accident will file their claim with their own insurance. It doesn’t matter who caused the crash. Only when the accident is immense with life-altering and catastrophic injuries or if a wrongful death results will the possibility to sue the at-fault party’s insurance to obtain a higher amount of compensation.
Driving without insurance is not only unwise, but it is also illegal. If you get into an accident you won’t have any help paying for the treatment you need for your injuries or the repairs to the damages your car sustains. On top of this, if you are the driver who is responsible for the crash you will have to take on the cost burden of the property damages to the other car as well. It is possible that you may be held to pay for any remaining medical expenses for the other party that was not covered by their PIP Insurance.
Should the accident you caused be severe and substantial injuries or death result you risk losing all of your assets in a civil lawsuit against you. You will also lose your driving privileges for many years.
What To Do After You Have Been In An Accident With An Uninsured Motorist In Florida
The claims and lawsuits associated with crashes where there is an uninsured motorist are tricky. They are complicated and it is best to seek the guidance and advice of a Tampa personal injury attorney at Fulgencio Law. Our legal team has many years of experience serving clients in and around the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The Florida automobile accident attorneys at Fulgencio Law are proud to provide representation for all victims. We take on cases that other lawyers in the area will not.
Call the Tampa serious injury attorneys at Fulgencio Law today at (813) 463-0123.