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If I cause a crash involving personal injury and vehicle damage and I am not insured, what should I do?
To eliminate the possibility of suspension, you should purchase a full liability insurance policy (includes bodily injury liability) as soon as possible and advise the company that you were involved in an uninsured crash and may need a Form SR-22 (certification of liability insurance) in the future. Negotiate with each person or their insurance company to satisfy the losses they incurred. If you are unable to pay the damages in full, you can negotiate a payment agreement to allow monthly payments. Always have a document completed to legitimize the agreement to be used as proof of payments required by the department. Release forms can be obtained from your nearest driver license office. If their insurance company has compensated the person for damages, you should contact the insurance company for satisfaction of damages since the insurance company has assumed the loss.
If I have obtained the Form SR-22 and the releases for damages and/or injuries, what should I do with them?
When you receive an inquiry from the department requesting proof of coverage for the crash date, you may mail them to: Bureau of Financial Responsibility 2900 Apalachee Parkway , Room A212, MS-98 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0585 or take them to your nearest driver license office to avoid a suspension of your driving privilege.
As the person causing a crash, am I subject to lawsuits initiated by the victims or their insurance companies?
Yes. If notified of a lawsuit do not ignore the summons. You should appear in court to protect yourself from unwarranted or excessive damage amounts. Even if you are unable to pay the damages/injuries in full, you will have an opportunity to petition the court to allow you to make periodic payments according to your income. If you have obtained releases for having settled their damages and/or personal injuries, you will not be subject to a lawsuit.
If I own a vehicle and the operator caused a crash involving only property damages, will it come under the Florida Financial Responsibility Law?
No. A crash involving no bodily injuries are subject to the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law. The law requires that an owner whose vehicle is involved in a crash and the operator was charged with a moving traffic violation, must have in effect a policy with limits of $10,000 personal injury protection per person/per crash and $10,000 property damage liability per crash (compulsory coverage).
Complete insurance information should be given to the investigating officer and you should be sure that the information is properly and accurately recorded on the crash report. Proper recording of the information will eliminate the need for the department to contact you personally in the future for more accurate information and eliminate the possibility of unnecessary suspensions of your driver license, tags and registrations.
If I own a vehicle involved in a crash caused by the operator of my vehicle, no one was injured and I was not insured, what should I do?
Immediately purchase a personal injury protection and property damage liability (compulsory coverage) insurance policy.
Negotiate with each person that sustained property damages to obtain releases for their damages. If the person is insured, you should negotiate with the person's insurance company as the company assumes the rights of compensation since they have reimbursed the insured for their loss. You can obtain a release form from your nearest driver license office.
If you are unable to pay the amount of damages in full, you may pursue a monthly payment agreement. With the insurance coverage and releases or monthly repayment agreements, you will be able to provide them upon notice from the department to avoid unnecessary suspensions of your driver license, tags, and registrations.
If neither the owner nor operator of the at-fault vehicle carried full coverage on date of a crash involving personal injuries, what will happen?
The crash report will be processed by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and notices mailed to the driver license address of the owner and operator involved on how to comply before the date of suspension in the notice.
These requirements are:
1. Purchase bodily injury and property damage liability coverage and have it certified to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles by your insurance company on Form SR-22 for three years from the suspension date mentioned,
2. Obtain releases from the other parties for their property damages and/or bodily injuries or post a security deposit with the department in the amounts listed on the crash report, and
3. Pay a $15 reinstatement fee, if applicable.
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