8 May
What Do I Do If I Was In A Car Accident In Florida But I Don’t Have Insurance?
Florida Law Group Car Accidents, Personal Injury
Getting into any type of car accident in Florida – even if it’s a “minor” fender bender – can ruin anyone’s day. Car repair costs were NOT in your monthly budget, and neither were medical bills, if you sustained any injuries in the crash.
It’s annoying, that’s for sure, but for many people that is all it is, because they have insurance. Maybe they’ll have to pay a small deductible, but the costs are going to be covered by their policy.
But if you don’t have insurance, the minute the collision occurs, your stomach may drop as fast as if you were on a roller coaster. Not having insurance is illegal in Florida, first of all – you’re facing fines and license suspension, right off the bat. But you also don’t have the financial safety net that the person you hit might. Does this mean that you have to pay for the costs to repair both of your vehicles and for any medical bills out of your own pocket? What if you don’t have that kind of money?
First, don’t panic!
First, we want to reassure you that the first step, as hard as it may seem, is to not panic. You’re not alone – there are many, many people in the same boat as you. In fact, as many as 1 in 4 people on the roads in Florida are also driving illegally without insurance, and many of those people get into accidents every day.
We’re not condoning violating Florida’s insurance laws, but we understand how expensive auto insurance is these days and how Florida is an already expensive state to live in. Florida actually has the highest auto insurance rates AND the highest inflation rate in the entire U.S.- a double whammy. It’s difficult to make ends meet, and for many families, this means being forced to make tough choices, and not always the right ones.
The good news is that you are not the first person this has happened to. It doesn’t make you a bad person, and it doesn’t mean that the rest of your life – or even your year – is ruined. It also doesn’t mean that you will necessarily have to pay for everything! You have options, and options for help.
Don’t try to evade law enforcement, either.
As tempting as it may seem, it is not in your best interests to try to persuade the other person to not call the police, or for you to not call them yourself. You have a legal obligation, in Florida, to file a police report in cases involving significant property damage and physical injuries. Failure to do so can result in a substantial fine, on top of the penalties you would pay for driving without insurance in the first place.
Here’s why it’s always a good idea to call the police, even if you may get in trouble because you don’t have insurance: if you didn’t cause the crash, you still may be entitled to monetary compensation from the other person’s insurance policy via a personal injury lawsuit. If you did cause the crash, and the other person sues you, having a police report can be key to your defense – if not, it’s just your word against theirs, and you are the person who has already broken the law in the eyes of the court.
Call the police, and get that documentation. Cooperate with them. Be honest with the police officers at the scene, but also do not admit fault, even if you think you were the one who caused the crash! Don’t use phrases like “I’m sorry”, or explicitly “It was my fault”; you do not have all of the information about the other driver yet, who may have been just as at fault as you were!
Contact a local car accident attorney
If you were in a car accident in Florida but you don’t have insurance, you need to contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. If the car accident was not your fault, you do not have personal injury protection insurance (PIP) that can help cover the costs, so unless you are able to receive compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, you are on the hook for the costs!
But isn’t Florida a “no-fault” state? How does that work?
Florida is a no-fault state, but that refers to insurance laws, not to the actual accident. Of course, accidents are caused by someone – they are someone’s fault! Typically, in cases where both parties have insurance, they are legally required to go through their own insurance policies first (regardless of whose fault the crash was).
However, if you do not have a policy to get benefits from, you still may be able to sue the other driver and collect compensation from their insurance company, but this all depends on the circumstances of your case and on your attorney’s experience.
If you weren’t insured, but the car was…
You may be actually covered if the car you are driving was insured! For example, if you had permission to drive someone else’s car – maybe someone in your primary household – and they were insured, you may be covered under the owner’s insurance policy.
You should get car insurance after your accident
Even though it is expensive, you need to purchase auto insurance after your accident, so that you do not find yourself in this situation again. A lawyer can give you advice on the best ways to communicate your history to an insurance company to get the best possible rates on coverage, or may be able to connect you to financial resources!
Call The Florida Law Group!
Don’t despair if you don’t have insurance and got in a crash in Florida. The right law firm may be able to help! At The Florida Law Group, we have extensive experience with a variety of claims, including from victims who were without the right amount of legally required insurance. We can investigate your accident, explain your options, answer your questions, and give you all of the support you need to get the best outcome possible!
Call today to schedule a FREE consultation – completely confidential, no obligation, and no cost to you. If we take on your case, our legal fee is paid by the eventual settlement we are confident we can win; never out of your own pocket! You only pay us when we collect a settlement. Don’t wait – we’re standing by ready to help!
Getting into any type of car accident in Florida – even if it’s a “minor” fender bender – can ruin anyone’s day. Car repair costs were NOT in your monthly budget, and neither were medical bills, if you sustained any injuries in the crash.
It’s annoying, that’s for sure, but for many people that is all it is, because they have insurance. Maybe they’ll have to pay a small deductible, but the costs are going to be covered by their policy.
But if you don’t have insurance, the minute the collision occurs, your stomach may drop as fast as if you were on a roller coaster. Not having insurance is illegal in Florida, first of all – you’re facing fines and license suspension, right off the bat. But you also don’t have the financial safety net that the person you hit might. Does this mean that you have to pay for the costs to repair both of your vehicles and for any medical bills out of your own pocket? What if you don’t have that kind of money?
First, don’t panic!
First, we want to reassure you that the first step, as hard as it may seem, is to not panic. You’re not alone – there are many, many people in the same boat as you. In fact, as many as 1 in 4 people on the roads in Florida are also driving illegally without insurance, and many of those people get into accidents every day.
We’re not condoning violating Florida’s insurance laws, but we understand how expensive auto insurance is these days and how Florida is an already expensive state to live in. Florida actually has the highest auto insurance rates AND the highest inflation rate in the entire U.S.- a double whammy. It’s difficult to make ends meet, and for many families, this means being forced to make tough choices, and not always the right ones.
The good news is that you are not the first person this has happened to. It doesn’t make you a bad person, and it doesn’t mean that the rest of your life – or even your year – is ruined. It also doesn’t mean that you will necessarily have to pay for everything! You have options, and options for help.
Don’t try to evade law enforcement, either.
As tempting as it may seem, it is not in your best interests to try to persuade the other person to not call the police, or for you to not call them yourself. You have a legal obligation, in Florida, to file a police report in cases involving significant property damage and physical injuries. Failure to do so can result in a substantial fine, on top of the penalties you would pay for driving without insurance in the first place.
Here’s why it’s always a good idea to call the police, even if you may get in trouble because you don’t have insurance: if you didn’t cause the crash, you still may be entitled to monetary compensation from the other person’s insurance policy via a personal injury lawsuit. If you did cause the crash, and the other person sues you, having a police report can be key to your defense – if not, it’s just your word against theirs, and you are the person who has already broken the law in the eyes of the court.
Call the police, and get that documentation. Cooperate with them. Be honest with the police officers at the scene, but also do not admit fault, even if you think you were the one who caused the crash! Don’t use phrases like “I’m sorry”, or explicitly “It was my fault”; you do not have all of the information about the other driver yet, who may have been just as at fault as you were!
Contact a local car accident attorney
If you were in a car accident in Florida but you don’t have insurance, you need to contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. If the car accident was not your fault, you do not have personal injury protection insurance (PIP) that can help cover the costs, so unless you are able to receive compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, you are on the hook for the costs!
But isn’t Florida a “no-fault” state? How does that work?
Florida is a no-fault state, but that refers to insurance laws, not to the actual accident. Of course, accidents are caused by someone – they are someone’s fault! Typically, in cases where both parties have insurance, they are legally required to go through their own insurance policies first (regardless of whose fault the crash was).
However, if you do not have a policy to get benefits from, you still may be able to sue the other driver and collect compensation from their insurance company, but this all depends on the circumstances of your case and on your attorney’s experience.
If you weren’t insured, but the car was…
You may be actually covered if the car you are driving was insured! For example, if you had permission to drive someone else’s car – maybe someone in your primary household – and they were insured, you may be covered under the owner’s insurance policy.
You should get car insurance after your accident
Even though it is expensive, you need to purchase auto insurance after your accident, so that you do not find yourself in this situation again. A lawyer can give you advice on the best ways to communicate your history to an insurance company to get the best possible rates on coverage, or may be able to connect you to financial resources!
Call The Florida Law Group!
Don’t despair if you don’t have insurance and got in a crash in Florida. The right law firm may be able to help! At The Florida Law Group, we have extensive experience with a variety of claims, including from victims who were without the right amount of legally required insurance. We can investigate your accident, explain your options, answer your questions, and give you all of the support you need to get the best outcome possible!
Call today to schedule a FREE consultation – completely confidential, no obligation, and no cost to you. If we take on your case, our legal fee is paid by the eventual settlement we are confident we can win; never out of your own pocket! You only pay us when we collect a settlement. Don’t wait – we’re standing by ready to help!