I Had a Car Accident in California With Out Insurance
Reader’s Question:
If you get into an accident and it was your fault and you don’t have car insurance, what will happen? I live in California.
Mark
San Francisco CA
In the state of California, if you drive without the required liability car insurance, you may face the following penalties that may include fines up to $500 in addition to the car impoundment and drivers license suspension. In case the car has been impounded, the owner will be responsible for paying for the storage and tow charges too.
On op of teh fines and penalties you will receive for driving without car insurance, there are also penalties, fines and points that may be received in connection to the citation for the accident yo have caused.
The penalties can be more severe if you got involved in an accident while driving without car insurance. You may be required to obtain an SR22 insurance. You are also responsible for paying any damages or injuries that you have caused due to an accident. Your asset may be put at risk if you have caused serious damages and injuries to the other party involved.
According to the California Financial Responsibility Law, if your license is suspended due to uninsured accident, you may obtain a non-commercial restricted license however, you will still need to carry an SR22 insurance. One of the requirements when reinstating your license is to maintain proof of financial responsibility certificate (SR22) that you need to keep for four years.