Yes. You can file a personal injury lawsuit over an accident in which you were driving with a suspended license. You may face charges for your violation, but you could still seek recovery support if the other driver was to blame.
When motorists know they have a suspended license they should never get behind the wheel and risk more legal trouble. However, when another driver’s recklessness is responsible for an accident, a victim’s suspended license won’t excuse the at-fault driver from having to provide support.
Seeking Injury Support After Getting Into a Crash With a Suspended License?
A scary impact on a California freeway or a boulevard can leave vehicles undrivable and the victims inside with painful injuries. Victims can quickly face financial ruin as medical bills arrive in the mailbox at a time when the patient can’t return to work and earn paychecks.
Victims take financial hits at both ends. It’s why California allows victims to seek help from an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider through a personal injury claim.
In some crashes, a victim may have had nothing to do with causing the collision but could still face charges for other violations. Drivers may have had a suspended license at the time they were hit, a fact an investigating officer will quickly determine. The driver could be charged with a misdemeanor, but that doesn’t affect who will be charged for causing the accident.
A reckless motorist may have struck you while you were driving on a suspended license, but that doesn’t mean the hospital bills will automatically become your responsibility. The careless motorist is still liable for the harm caused. The motorist’s auto accident insurance could be called upon to provide help with paying doctors and replacing paychecks you’ve had to forfeit while in healing. The at-fault driver may also have to provide you with support for the physical pain you endure and the emotional trauma a serious crash and injury can cause. Your suspended license criminal charges are handled separately.
What Happens If I Get into a Collision While Driving with a Suspended License?
California drivers can get hit with a suspended license for a number of reasons. They may have been caught driving under the influence (DUI). They may have been found driving without insurance. They may have missed a court date or fallen behind on child support payments.
Whatever the reason, a driver with a suspended license who is caught out on a California street will face misdemeanor charges. Violators might receive a week to six months in jail and have to pay up to a $1,000 fine. The jail time and fines go up with each repeat conviction.
A California lawyer can help you determine if you are being treated fairly. It’s always possible that the California DMV didn’t try hard enough to notify you of your suspended license. You may have been completely unaware. There’s also a chance that a mix-up in files shows that you had a suspended license when you actually didn’t. These and other circumstances can reduce your charges or get charges thrown out so you can focus on your recovery.
Getting Help After an Accident That Occurs While You Have a Suspended License
A skilled California car accident lawyer is a safeguard when you encounter issues after an accident due to a suspended license. You still deserve to be able to afford the best medical care available so you can fully recover.
No insurance company should be able to deny coverage to injured victims due to an unrelated traffic violation. Contact Maison Law to set up a free case consultation to find out how to hold a reckless driver fully responsible for your suffering.
