What will happen if I was not at fault in a car accident but have no insurance or valid driver’s license?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What will happen if I was not at fault in a car accident but have no insurance or valid driver’s license?
I was involved in a car accident early Monday morning. The cops said that I was not at fault. The car in front of me lost control and I struck the vehicle in the front left driver side. The driver of the vehicle that had lost control left the scene before cops arrived. There was no alcohol involved on my part nor his as far as I know. Both cars are completely totaled beyond repair. My problem is that I had let my insurance lapse so it was not valid at the time (although no one asked me for any of that information which I though was odd); also apparently I have a suspended license due to an unpaid fine.
Asked on September 21, 2011 under Accident Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
If you are not at fault, you should not be liable to pay for other damages or injuries (e.g the cost of totalled car). However, the police saying you are not at fault is not the end of the story; while that is evidence that you are not at fault, it is not actually a judicial determination of fault, so the other party to the accident or their insurer could sue you if they think that you were at fault, and at trial they'd have the opportunity to present evidence in their favor, as you could present evidence in yours (like a favorable police report). Of course, without insurance, you'd have to pay your own lawyer; and the fact that you didn't have a valid license may be evidence that you were an unsafe driver, depending on the circumstances. Also, if you don't have a license of your own, you may be precluded from suing anyone else for any losses or damages you suffered, though if you think you may have a cause of action, you should discuss the situation in detail with an attorney.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.