Adults, Teenagers, Women and Men, this article can apply to any American that is driving the roads of this magnificent country without car insurance. Although going without auto insurance can save some money in the short term and reduce the stress of having to come up with hundreds of dollars to pay a monthly premium, it can also bring devastating consequences and end up costing even more in the long term!
State Requirements For Auto Insurance
Auto insurance is basically a contract between you and the insurance company that protects you and your financial future in case of a car accident. Most states have a required auto insurance minimum that is mandated by state law (all states have this requirement except for New Hampshire and Wisconsin). In some states like Massachusetts, the driver of a car without insurance can be charged a significant amount of money and in others like Florida they can go as far as to impound your car.
State Penalties For Not Having Auto Insurance
In most states however, they make it plain and simple. What they do is they will give you a ticket that you will have to pay without any appeal and a court date that you will be mandated to attend. If a person decides they don’t want to appear in court you are considered a flight risk, meaning that authorities think you will just vanish and not pay the ticket or go to court. Because of this threat of escape they will simply arrest you as soon as possible and send you to jail. While in jail you will have to pay a bond that will likely exceed $500 to get out and unfortunately the arrest will remain on your record.
Consequences of Not Having Auto Insurance In The Event Of An Accident
The consequences of not having auto insurance can be even greater when an owner of an uninsured vehicle gets into an automobile accident. In order to understand the effects of not having auto insurance, it is first necessary to study the most simple component of auto insurance, that of Bodily Injury and Property Damage.
Bodily Injury Liability And Property Damage Liability
This is the main component of auto insurance and is required in most states. If you are at fault in an accident then bodily injury part will cover any medical expenses for the person you collided with, as well as yours. The property damage in the meantime, will take care of everything that gets ruined in the accident other than your car, such as the other person’s car. (Florida is the only state that requires Property Damage Liability, but not the Bodily Injury part. For a full list of state requirements read the article Minimum Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements).
If a person that causes an auto accident does not have auto insurance then they can expect to pay for the damages not only caused to their car, but the other person’s as well. They can also be sued for thousands of dollars if the other person is injured and they contact an injury attorney. Not only will you probably have to pay all costs associated with the accident, but if sued you might even have to pay for your own defense attorney. For this reason it is better to pay some sort of monthly premium to avoid the debt of an accident.
Auto Insurance Premiums: Well Worth the Cost
If it’s looked at on the positive side, having car insurance is not a bad thing after all. Not only do you have financial security in case something goes wrong and you end up in a wreck, but you are not at risk of possible tickets or fines given to you by the Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles. Many Americans argue that car insurance is too high and they don’t have money to pay the required monthly premiums, but what many don’t know is that most states don’t require for one to have full coverage in order to drive a car. You can even plan and budget your monthly expenses so that you can afford something that will protect you and your future.
Auto Insurance Will Help To Keep You Financially Secure
Not having automobile insurance only causes problems for the individual, the individuals family, and for society as a whole. With the number of cars on roads in America increasing, there is more of a chance for anyone that is behind the wheel to get in a wreck. Statistics show that in this country a person dies in a car accident every 12 seconds and every 14 seconds someone is injured in one. A person that has car insurance will have to bother and pay every month, but they wont have to worry about their economic future being destroyed by a mistake made behind the wheel. The consequences of not having car insurance are only bad ones!
Get Started Finding Cheap Auto Insurance Now!
If you don’t want to be in debt after an accident, sued for injuring someone and not having money to pay or being sent to a collection agency that will bother you for the rest of your life asking for money you don’t have; go ahead and do some research.
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