Driving Without Insurance in Michigan: What You Need To Know
Driving Without Insurance in Michigan: What You Need To Know
The penalties for driving without policy in Michigan are the harsh in the state. Uninsured drivers face fines, driver ’ mho license suspensions and even jail time. If there is a car accident, they can not sue, tied when injure and wholly impeccant, and they will tied have to reimburse the indemnity company of the negligent driver .
As I write this today, unemployment is the highest it has been since the Great Depression and COVID cases are hitting all-time records. I know that this publish poses a very difficult dilemma : for besides many people, it is literally a choice of paying for car insurance or paying for groceries or rent .
But arsenic atrocious as this choice can be, the world is that no one can afford to be driving without indemnity in Michigan. This is because Michigan has the harshest and most draconian laws in the entire state. even before the economy crashed, more people than always were driving without car indemnity. In cities like Detroit, Flint and Battle Creek, it is estimated that more than 50 % of drivers do not have insurance .
But there are fabulously unplayful penalties for driving without insurance in Michigan. These penalties leave you particularly vulnerable if you are always injured in a serious car accident.
People complain ( and rightfully so ) about the high cost of cable car insurance in Michigan. They frequently ask me : “ What ’ s the damage in driving uninsured ? ”
Think you can not afford car policy ? The atrocious truth of the matter is you can ’ metric ton afford to not have Michigan No-Fault car insurance .
To learn more, please check out our video :
What is the penalty for driving without insurance in Michigan?
The penalty for driving without insurance in Michigan includes : ( 1 ) a finely, imprison and a driver ’ mho license suspension ; ( 2 ) being barred from suing an at-fault driver for pain and suffering compensation – even if he or she causes severe injuries and you are wholly innocent and not at blame ; ( 3 ) being disqualified from all No-Fault benefits ; and ( 4 ) personal indebtedness for an at-fault driver ’ s No-Fault benefits, and for others ’ compensation and damages .
here are the civil and criminal penalties for driving without insurance in Michigan : :
- Guilty of a misdemeanor: If you drive without insurance in Michigan, you are guilty of a misdemeanor. (MCL 500.3102(2))
- Fine of $200 to $500: If you are convicted of driving without insurance in Michigan, you “shall be fined not less than $200.00 nor more than $500.00” and/or sent to jail. (MCL 500.3102(2))
- Jail for up to a one year: If you are convicted of driving without insurance in Michigan, you “shall be. .. imprisoned for not more than 1 year” and/or subject to a fine. (MCL 500.3102(2))
- Suspension of your driver’s license: If a court determines that you were driving with the auto insurance required by the No-Fault law, then – unless you can show that your car or truck is currently insured – your driver’s license will be suspended by the Secretary of State until you get the necessary car insurance. (MCL 257.328(1) and (4)
- The Secretary of State will not renew your plates: If a court determines that you were driving with the auto insurance required by the No-Fault law, then the Secretary of State will not allow you to renew, transfer, replace or to purchase a new registration for your vehicle until you can prove you have auto insurance and you pay a $50 fee. (MCL 257.328(1) and (5); 257.227a(1))
- You cannot sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering compensation: If you were injured in a car accident while driving your own uninsured car or truck, then you cannot sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering damages – even if you were 100% innocent. (MCL 500.3135(1) and (2)(c))
- You will have to pay for your own medical expenses: If you were injured in car accident while driving your own uninsured motor vehicle, then you will be disqualified from recovering No-Fault medical benefits to cover your accident-related medical bills. (MCL 500.3113(b)) You will either have to pay out of pocket or make a claim through your health insurance.
- You will not be reimbursed for lost wages: If you were injured in car accident while driving your own uninsured motor vehicle, then you will be disqualified from recovering No-Fault wage loss benefits to reimburse you for the wages you lose because your injuries have been prevented you from returning to work. (MCL 500.3113(b))
- You will have to pay for your own vehicle damage: If your uninsured car or truck was damaged in a car accident, you will not be able to use the Michigan mini tort law to recover up to $3,000 from the at-fault driver to cover vehicle damage. (MCL 500.3135(3)(e) and (4)(e))
- You could be held personally liable for injuries or death that you caused: If you are driving without insurance in Michigan and you cause a car accident that results in injury to another – or tragically results in someone’s death – then you could be held personally liable for pain and suffering and compensation or wrongful death. Your personal liability stems from the fact that you have no liability insurance which would otherwise provide coverage and protect your and your family’s personal assets from a civil tort judgment.
- You may be forced to have to pay other people’s medical bills: If you are driving your own uninsured vehicle and you are involved in a car accident, then you could be legally required to pay for the medical bills of anyone who was injured – including those of the at-fault driver, even if he or she 100% at-fault, ran a red light, was speeding, drunk, drugged, and texting at the time of car crash. (MCL 500.3177(1)) Failure to pay could result in suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. (MCL 500.3177(1))
- You may have to pay for other people’s lost wages: For the same reasons you may be required to pay for other people’s medical bills, you may be required to pay for their lost wages if you were driving without insurance at the time you were involved in a car accident.
- You may have to pay for other people’s vehicle damage: If you were driving your own uninsured car or truck at the time you caused a car crash that damaged someone else’s vehicle, then the $3,000 limit on mini tort recoveries does not apply and you can be sued for the full value of the vehicle damage.
What is the penalty for driving without insurance in Michigan?
This brings us now to the most draconian share of Michigan ’ randomness law – the separate that is specifically meant to penalize and punish those driving without indemnity. Michigan ’ s No-Fault law makes an uninsured driver – even one who is wholly impeccant and who was seriously hurt – barred from bringing a lawsuit against a negligent driver and then even makes the uninsured driver financially responsible for everyone else ’ s checkup expenses and lost wages.
In early words, if you are driving your own uninsured car or hand truck and if you are involved in a cable car accident that results in injury to another driver, evening if that other driver was negligent and caused the car accident, you still have to pay. You will have to reimburse the car indemnity company of the negligent, at-fault driver for whatever they pay out in No-Fault medical and wage loss benefits ( and survivor ’ randomness loss benefits if person was killed in the car accident ) .
This can mean you are potentially liable to following persons and/or their estate of the realm, if person was killed as a leave of a car accident :
- Passengers in your vehicle
- Drivers of other vehicles
- Passengers of other vehicles
- Motorcyclists
- Bicyclists
- Pedestrians
The law in Michigan quite literally adds diss to injury. You are financially liable to pay to reimburse the car policy company for the No-Fault benefits paid to the driver who was at-fault in causing the cable car accident, even if he or she was 100 % at-fault and he or she was intoxicated or drugged or texting or speeding or driving in the wrong lane or running a red light or all of these things. When I speak at seminars to car accident attorneys in early states, they literally are astonished at equitable how draconian and punitive the jurisprudence is in Michigan .
This is why I wrote above that people who think they can not afford car insurance are the like people who literally can ’ t afford not to have car indemnity .
No driver responsibility fee
previously, when a person was found guilty of driving without policy in Michigan, he or was required to pay a $ 500 driver responsibility tip “ for 2 back-to-back years. ” ( MCL 257.732a ( 2 ) ( b-complex vitamin ) ( intravenous feeding ) ) however, the driver responsibility fee necessity was eliminated, starting on March 31, 2018, according to Public Act 50 of 2018. ( MCL 257.732a ( 10 ) ( c ) )
Can you be arrested for driving without insurance in Michigan?
You can be arrested for driving without indemnity, which is a misdemeanor and carries up to a year in imprison. Warrantless arrests can be made for misdemeanors committed in a police officer ’ s presence and for those penal by more than 92 days in imprison if there is reasonable cause. ( MCL 764.15 ( 1 ) ( a ) and ( five hundred ) )
How much is a driving without insurance ticket in Michigan?
If you are convicted of driving without insurance in Michigan, you will be required to pay a all right of at least $ 200 but not more than $ 500. ( MCL 500.3102 ( 2 ) )
Read more: The 7 Best Car Insurance Companies (2022)
Should I hire a lawyer for driving without insurance in Michigan?
Given the awful legal and fiscal consequences, my best advice is besides the simple : never drive without policy in Michigan. however, since most people have no idea how severe the penalties are for driving without insurance UNTIL AFTER it is excessively late, and should the circumstances result in your being charged with driving without indemnity, I would decidedly advise you to hire a lawyer to protect you from condemnable and fiscal liability .
Need help finding a lawyer? Call Michigan Auto Law
unfortunately, as I wrote above, if you are the owner and operator of your own motive vehicle and injured in a car accident, the law in Michigan will prevent me from helping you .
however, if you or a sleep together one has been injured in a car accident caused by person driving without insurance, you still have crucial legal rights including the veracious to sue and bring a lawsuit for your harms and losses. If you would like to speak with an experience personal injury lawyer, call price release anytime 24/7 at ( 800 ) 777-0028 for a exempt consultation with one of our injury attorneys. You can besides get avail from an know accident lawyer by visiting our contact page or you can use the new world chat feature on our web site .