- March 30, 2015
- Car Accidents
- Personal Injury
With the use of an in-car computer, police now have an easy and quick way of identifying Michigan drivers driving without proper insurance. The system that allows a police officer to run a license plate number to identify if a driver has insurance was released in September of 2013. The new technology does not work yet on motorcycles and commercial trucks, however according to Michigan State Police, the new system has led to troopers issuing more tickets with greater ease.The insurance companies do submit reports the 1st and 15th of each month to the Michigan Secretary of State detailing who is insured. However, the issue with this report is that police officers do not receive it immediately and sometimes may be looking at non-updated information in their network.
This new technology comes with great importance to the State of Michigan. Believe it or not, according to the Insurance Information Institute, Michigan does in fact have one of the highest uninsured driver rates, with an estimated 21 percent of motorists driving without insurance. In addition, estimates for the uninsured rate in the City of Detroit are even higher.
Many people believe there is no harm in driving without insurance. They feel fees are too expensive** to pay making it not worth the investment. At the law firm of Goodman Acker, P.C. our Michigan car accident lawyers are here to tell you something different. It is really in your best interest to purchase an auto insurance policy. In the unfortunate scenario that you are involved in an automobile accident in Michigan, the fees you would pay for having an auto no-fault insurance policy would most likely be less than what you would have to forfeit – in dollars and in rights – for not having insurance.
In fact, uninsured drivers typically cannot sue for their pain and suffering damages and must pay for all their no-fault insurance benefits that would have been paid by the insurance companies should they had insurance. Benefits like medical bill reimbursement, money lost from time off work, or vehicle damage reimbursement will all be held from you because you drove without insurance. In addition, if you caused the accident, you may be able to be sued and held personally liable for another person’s injuries and/or other benefits that would normally fall under the liability of the insurance company if you had a policy.
For those who do have an auto insurance policy and are involved in a Michigan car accident with an uninsured driver, more often than not you may be able to collect compensation from your own insurance policy by filing an uninsured motorist claim. To learn more about the filing of these claims and who is eligible, read our blog “Michigan Uninsured Motorist Insurance Claim.”
It is getting more and more difficult in Michigan to drive without insurance and the reality is it is in your best interest to have a policy. Being insured is the best way to protect you and your family’s rights.
Don’t have insurance and want to get a policy? Check out our blog “Auto Insurance Companies – Who is the Best?” to see which insurance companies were ranked best for protecting you and your family.