If you get into a car accident in Indiana without insurance, you could face fines and license suspensions. If you were not at fault, then you can file a claim against the other party’s policy (if they had one). However, there are limits to your ability to file for damages in Indiana without insurance.
After an accident, there’s a lot of healing to do. Your body might be injured, your car might need repairs, and you might be stressed and suffering as you try to manage the situation. Car insurance is meant to ease some of this burden, but what if the at fault driver doesn’t have insurance? Or what if you don’t?
Not only is it a legal requirement to carry car insurance in Indiana, but a good policy will protect you even if the other driver is uninsured. Car accidents are stressful enough without paying for everything out of pocket! No matter what situation you’re in now, Jerry
is here to help. Here’s a quick guide from the trusted car insurance
broker app Jerry
to help you understand car accidents without insurance when not at fault in Indiana. Keep reading to learn how to claim damages, possible penalties you could face for driving without insurance, and how to find cheap Indiana car insurance
to avoid a costly accident! What to do if you’re in a car accident without insurance in Indiana and not at fault
It is illegal under state law to drive in Indiana without the minimum required car insurance coverage. Getting into an accident without insurance in Indiana, will create legal problems, increase the cost of repairing your car, and possibly impact your ability to get quality healthcare.
Here’s what you need to do if you’re in a car accident without insurance in Indiana.
Step 1: Stay present at the scene of the incident. A hit-and-run in Indiana is a serious offense, even if you didn’t cause the accident, so whether or not you have insurance, never leave the scene.
If you flee the scene of an accident, you could be charged with a Class A or B misdemeanor and face some or all of these penalties:
One year in jail if convicted of a hit-and-run
Restitution orders to pay back property damages or medical bills
Community service and probation
Suspension of your driver’s license
Step 2: Ensure the safety of everyone involved. Once you have pulled over safely, assess the health of you, your passengers, and other involved parties. If anyone needs medical attention, call 911.
Step 3: Document everything carefully. Take photos, videos, and other evidence from the scene. Ask for the contact information of any bystanders who could back you up. This documentation can help prove that you were not at fault.
Step 4: Exchange information with the other party. Provide your name, contact information, and your driver’s license number. Ask for their information, too. Even if you don’t have insurance, exchanging information with the other party is important.
If the other driver has insurance and the accident was their fault, you can file against their policy for damages—whether or not you have a policy. If the other driver doesn’t have insurance, you can file a personal injury lawsuit for vehicle repairs, medical bills, and lost wages due to injury.
Unfortunately, there is one area in which you cannot sue for damages if you did not have insurance and were involved in a not-at-fault accident in Indiana. You may not sue for pain and suffering, inconvenience, or stress if you were 1) driving uninsured at the time of the accident and 2) you have a history of driving uninsured. These are called non-economic damages, and you forfeit your right to collect them in this “No Pay, No Play” state.
Who decides fault in a car accident in Indiana?
Establishing who is to blame for a car accident can be complicated. While a police report may help determine liability, police aren’t always present at the scene of an accident. Ultimately, the insurance company will decide which party is liable for an accident.
If you get into a car accident without insurance and you’re not at fault in Indiana, your best strategy is to provide as much evidence as possible that the other driver was at fault. Then, send all the information you collect about the incident to the other driver’s insurance company when you file a claim.
Do you need to report a car accident in Indiana?
You must report a car accident in Indiana if there was $1,000 or more in property damage or if someone was hurt, killed, or trapped. If the accident resulted in minimal property damage and no injuries, it is not a legal requirement to report it to the police. However, fleeing the scene under any circumstances is still considered a crime.
If someone was hurt or there was significant property damage, you must file an accident report with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles
within 10 days from the date of the accident. Filing an accident report is a legal requirement if the conditions above are met. It’s also your best chance to recover damages if you don’t have insurance. What if you’re at fault?
If you are at fault in the accident and did not have car insurance, the consequences will be costly.
Because Indiana is a modified comparative negligence state
, you will be financially responsible for your portion of the other driver’s damage if you are deemed more than 50% negligent for the accident. So, if you are found 51% at fault, you cannot claim damages and must pay for the other party’s damages via a lawsuit if you didn’t have insurance at the time of the accident. What if you’re hit by an uninsured driver in Indiana?
There’s one more scenario we haven’t covered. What happens if the other driver caused the accident, and they didn’t have car insurance, but you did? You have several options for covering your repair and medical expenses.
One option is to pursue the other driver for damages with a personal liability lawsuit. However, this takes a long time and may not be worth the amount of money you’ll recover.
The best option is to use your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
. If you had UMC or UIM coverage, then your policy can help pay for your medical bills if you were in an accident with a driver who had no or insufficient coverage. Since Indiana offers medical payments (MedPay)
coverage, this protection would apply first if you purchased it. MedPay pays for hospital bills up to your policy’s limit and then your UMC or UIM could kick in to pay for any overages. As far as getting your car repaired, you have two options. The state of Indiana requires companies to offer drivers UMPD (uninsured motorist property damage) coverage. If you elected to keep this coverage, you might have up to $25,000 to repair or replace your vehicle if an uninsured driver hits you.
The other option is to use your collision coverage
(if you had it) to cover the bills associated with vehicle repairs. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III)
, about 15.8% of Indiana drivers had insufficient coverage in 2019. It’s very possible you could end up in an accident with an uninsured driver! To protect yourself, get UIM and collision coverage. MORE: Everything you need to know about Indiana’s texting and driving laws
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Penalties for driving without insurance in Indiana
For a first offense, you could lose your license for 90 days. You may also be required to carry an SR-22 car insurance certificate
for three years. An SR-22 certificate is a form of proof of financial responsibility. It’s required after someone commits a major driving violation—and it usually results in extremely high car insurance premiums.
A second offense carries a $500 fine and a one-year license suspension, whereas subsequent offenses will trigger a $1,000 reinstatement fee, a one-year license suspension, and a five-year SR-22 requirement.
You can’t avoid these consequences, unfortunately. You cannot buy insurance after the fact and apply it retroactively. If you can prove that you had insurance coverage at the time of the accident but didn’t have proof of insurance
with you, then the court may simply charge you an administrative fee. MORE: The penalties for using fake proof of insurance
Minimum required car insurance in Indiana
Every state has its requirements for minimum legal car insurance coverage. In Indiana, every driver is required to have an auto insurance policy with at least:
$50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident
While Indiana’s minimum liability coverage is higher than in many other states, you may wish to purchase a higher limit in each category. If you think about how much a new car might cost to replace, or how many medical bills could pile up in a serious accident, it’s clear that having higher liability coverage limits is wise. Carrying at least $100,000 for each person, $300,000 per accident, with $100,000 in property damage liability is your best shot at avoiding out-of-pocket expenses and protecting your financial future. You might be pleasantly surprised at how affordable more coverage is.
In Indiana, you are only required to carry liability coverage
. You are not required by state law to carry collision coverage or comprehensive coverage
which protects your car. However, it’s a good idea to consider purchasing this coverage to protect your car from theft, natural disasters, and vandalism. MORE: How to check for Indiana road closures
Driving without insurance can increase premiums
Minimum insurance coverage is always better than no insurance at all! Insurance companies will classify you as a high-risk driver if you’re caught driving without it
. As a result, you’ll have to pay more to insure your vehicle and you’ll be stuck with this rate for longer than you’d probably like. How to find cheap car insurance in Indiana
Insurance can be expensive—but it can be more affordable if you know where to look.
Meet Jerry
! Jerry is a trustworthy insurance comparison app
that can help you find the best coverage for your car with a rate that fits your budget. Not only will you be legally compliant with Indiana’s state liability requirements, but you can shop around with more than 55 companies in less than a minute! Sign-up is totally free, and drivers who switch using Jerry save on average $800+ per year on auto insurance.
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