Most states require drivers to have car insurance. Pennsylvania is one of them. If you want to drive around without the proper coverage, you’re going to end up paying for it. If you are a repeat offender, you may even end up requiring the help of a Blue Bell criminal defense lawyer.
What Are Local Car Insurance Requirements?
Every driver in Pennsylvania needs to carry a minimum amount of insurance. You must have a policy that offers:
- $5,000 in medical benefits
- $15,000 for bodily injury per person
- $30,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $5,000 for property damage
The medical benefits can help pay for you and your passengers’ medical expenses if you get hurt in a crash. The other coverage is liability coverage. If you get into an accident, your insurance policy can pay any injured drivers, passengers, or pedestrians if they sue you for damages.
What Are the Punishments For Driving Without Car Insurance?
You are not going to go to jail for driving without car insurance unless you are also doing a few other things incorrectly. However, you can be charged various fines and hit with some inconvenient punishments that will make you wish that you just shopped around for insurance coverage and selected a plan. Penalties include:
- A suspended license
- Suspended registration
- A fine of up to $300
- The possible impoundment of your vehicle
First-time offenders will get their license and registration suspended for three months. On top of that, you then have to pay to get your license and registration back once the punishment has ended. Expect each task to require about $100 in fees.
In some cases, you can pay an extra fine to ensure that the registration of the car is not suspended. A suspended license means that you cannot drive, but a suspended registration means that no one can drive your car. So if you share a vehicle, this might be a necessity. There’s a $500 fine and you can only elect to pay it and save your registration if you have not already done this in the last 12 months.
What Other Consequences Could I Face Without Coverage?
There are legal consequences for driving without car insurance, but you could also end up in major financial trouble. Not only do you have to worry about fines, impound fees, and paying to get back your license and registration, but have you thought about what happens if you get into a car accident?
When you have insurance, that policy should be able to cover the costs of a typical car accident. If you don’t have insurance coverage, you could be on the hook for paying someone’s medical bills yourself if you are accused of causing an accident and found liable.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you are facing fines or other punishments for an alleged crime, contact Mudrick & Zucker. We can schedule a consultation and tell you more about how our attorneys can be of assistance.
