In most states, you are required to carry a minimum amount of insurance to be allowed to legally operate a motor vehicle. Therefore, you might wonder what will happen if your insurance policy lapsed and you are injured in an accident. You will definitely need to discuss this with a personal injury attorney.

Insurance Required as a Driver

You will need bodily injury liability insurance, property damage liability, underinsured motorist bodily injury, and underinsured motorist property damage liability. Otherwise, you might face restrictions on what you can collect even if you were not at fault for the accident. You will simply need to be an uninsured driver to face the consequences.

No Pay No Play

Some states have a "no pay no play" rule that limits how much you can collect even if the other driver is at fault. In this case, you will not be able to claim non-economic damages such as "pain and suffering." Economic damages refer to damages that cost you money directly such as damage done to your car and medical expenses.

The purpose of "no pay no play" rules are that you do not have insurance and therefore should not benefit from another party's insurance provider. Therefore, you will want to make sure to work with a personal injury attorney who can ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your injuries even when you do not have insurance. 

Beware of Penalties

For states that require that you drive with insurance, you may face penalties as a result of failing to do so. You will usually be required to pay a fine. Your driver's license will also likely be revoked. You might also be required to file an SR-22 with the Department of Transportation.

What to Do After the Accident

After you are involved in an accident, you will want to tell the police officer that you do not have insurance. You may face further penalties if you do not inform the officer of this fact. You will then want to contact a personal injury lawyer. You may still be entitled to some compensation even without insurance but you will need to prove that the other driver is at fault.

A personal injury attorney will gather the evidence necessary to prove liability including contacting witnesses and reconstructing the accident to determine what went wrong.

For more information, contact a personal injury attorney office like the Law Office of Robert Karwin.