Causing An Accident While Uninsured
Experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorney, Paul R. Weber, knows - the first thing to understand is that you are driving illegally in Pennsylvania if you have no auto insurance.
Pennsylvania law requires all Pennsylvania motor vehicle owners to maintain vehicle liability insurance (financial responsibility) on any currently registered vehicle. And, yes, Pennsylvania law also requires you to register your vehicle. In fact, all new residents are required to apply for Pennsylvania title and registration of their vehicle(s) within 20 days of establishing residency in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania not only requires you to have insurance but also to have your driver’s license and proof of insuranceunexpiredwith you in your car. Pennsylvania means business too, because:
- If PennDOT determines that you operated your vehicle without the required insurance, your driver's license will be suspended for three months.
- Your registration plate, sticker, card and driver's license must be surrendered to PennDOT in order to serve the suspension.
- Restoration fees of $50.00 and proof of insurance must be submitted prior to having either registration or driving privileges returned.
- Then, if you have a second no-insurance violation in two years, you go to jail for 30 days and get your car impounded.
Liability insurance in Pennsylvania
Vehicle liability insurance covers the property damage or injuries you may cause others in a crash. A lapse in insurance coverage results in the suspension of your vehicle registration privilege for three months, unless the lapse of insurance was for a period of less than 31 days and the owner or registrant proves to PennDOT that the vehicle was not operated during this lapse in coverage.
Insurance companies are not required to notify PennDOT when you cancel your insurance policyit is your responsibility to notify PennDOT of the new insurance. Failure to do so will result in the suspension of your vehicle registration.
Pennsylvania auto insurance minimums
Pennsylvania requires you to have:
- Third party liability insurance
- Medical benefits coverage
Third party liability insurance minimum coverage in Pennsylvania is $15,000 for bodily injury, $5,000 for property damages, and $5,000 for medical expenses.
Causing an accident while uninsured in Pennsylvania
You may carry the full financial responsibility for causing a car crash in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. If this happens, there will likely be lawsuits against you, and you will need a defense attorney to advise and defend you in court. Even if you are found to be not legally responsible for the auto accident, you must pay the attorney's fees, and other court-related costs.
If you are found to be negligent, the court enters a judgment against you, assigning you financial responsibility for damages, which can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in a crash with serious or permanent injuries.
Bucks County Car Accident Attorneys - The Law Firm of Paul R. Weber.
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