Legal Question in Insurance Law in California

Re: No Insurance

Since you had no insurance (you were breaking the law as well as being foolish and irresponsible), they will have to take you to court if they want money. The other person's insurance company might do this, or then again they might not.

If you get sued, and you are lucky enough to be sued in small claims court, you will have a chance to defend your case before a judge. Bring the photos from your cell phone camera or the $10 disposable camera you kept in the glove compartment.

If you had been obeying the law and not driving without insurance, your insurance company would have dealt with the whole mess. You are lucky you didn't cause an accident with bodily injuries, this might have cost you thousands of dollars. If you are driving without insurance and you get seriously injured, you will forfeit the right to recover any significant amount of money.

If the damage to either car is over $500, each driver is required to file a SR-1 report with the CA DMV within 10 days -- and if DMV receives an SR-1 they will suspend your license if you didn't have insurance.