Here’s what could happen if an uninsured driver is in a car accident in Georgia

Hundreds of thousands of drivers navigate the roads without any form of insurance every day in the state of Georgia. Although that seems like an issue of financial risks, much more serious repercussions can come forth when a driver chooses not to drive with any form of car insurance.

Consequences of getting in an accident without insurance

Not having car insurance can prove to be a major liability anywhere, but especially in Georgia, which classifies as an at-fault state along with North Carolina and South Carolina. In an at-fault state, the person responsible for causing the accident must compensate the other driver and all parties involved.

The forms of compensation can include repair and replacement costs for any damaged cars, medical expenses of any injured parties present, and legal fees if the other driver decides to sue. Most states will also suspend your license for driving uninsured or revoke it altogether if the driver has been found driving uninsured on any previous occasion.

Some more hindering and serious consequences that can come from driving with no insurance can include the driver’s car being impounded, heavy fines from law enforcement, more expensive insurance costs due to liability, and potentially up to 12 months of jail time for repeated offenses of driving without insurance.

If a driver with no insurance is not at fault but still involved, then the driver at fault will mostly likely cover expenses. However, all listed risks still apply with slightly lower chances of being brought up.

Required Insurances

According to Georgia law, there is a minimum amount of insurance costs required to cover injuries per person involved ($25,000), property damages ($25,000), and overall cost of injuries per accident ($50,000).

The only required insurance under the law would be liability insurance, but there are other available forms of optional coverage:

• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage — For covering medical expenses when you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance to cover all expenses.
• Comprehensive coverage — Covers damage caused by theft, vandalism, fire, hail, etc. through repairing or replacing the car.
• Collision coverage — Covers repairing damage caused by another vehicle or from running into an object such as a fence.
  
  

Though not required under law, independent lenders may require specific insurance to be required to protect their investments.

This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 2:16 PM.