The Florida Department Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (HSMV) and the FL Bureau of Financial Responsibility both get involved when an uninsured party is at fault in an accident causing injury, property damage or both.

In a crash involving both property damages and bodily injuries, the HSMV will mail an inquiry to the owner/operator requesting they provide proof of BI and PD liability coverage at the time of the crash.

If the person did not have this coverage, they must purchase it and have it certified on a SR-22 form for 3 years. The at-fault party must also obtain releases from the victims that they were compensated fully for their bodily injuries and/or property damages.

The above requirements must be met before the suspension date in the inquiry notice to prevent suspension of the owner's tags and registration and the operator's driver license. If you had no car insurance at all and receive a judgment against you, the Bureau of Financial Responsibility will suspend your license, tags and registration for up to 20 years or until the entire judgment is satisfied.

The Bureau of FR and the HSMV suggest that to eliminate the possibility of suspension a person in this position should purchase a full liability insurance policy (including BI) as soon as possible and advise the insurance company that you were involved in an uninsured accident and may need a SR-22 in the near future.

Next, negotiate with each person, or their insurance company, to satisfy the losses they incurred. If you are unable to pay the damages in full, negotiate a payment agreement to allow monthly payments. Get a document showing the agreement as proof payments required and get a release form from a local driver license office.

If you need more information on your current situation and what to do, contact the FL HSMV online or call them at 850-922-9000.   To get the Florida required insurance and SR-22 mandated insurance that you need for your license reinstatement, click here for a quality car insurance quote.