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I recently was in an accident and just found out that the other at-fault driver provided false insurance information to the officer at the scene and currently is not insured. I was only carrying liability on my car so it is not covered. The accident happened in PA and both of us are residents. What are the penalties for providing false insurance info at the scene and do I have an alternative to small claims court to reclaim the cost of my vehicle (about $4k to $5k in value)?

You can report to the police station where your accident report was filed that the other driver gave false insurance information at the scene and see if they can now issue the other party a citation for driving without insurance and if there are other penalties that she can be subject to for giving false information to the officer at the scene of the accident.

Failure to maintain liability insurance on a registered vehicle in Pennsylvania may result in:

  • A minimum of $300 fine for driving uninsured
  • A three-month suspension of your vehicle registration
  • A three-month suspension of your driver's license
  • $50 restoration fee to restore your vehicle registration
  • $50 restoration fee to restore your driver's license
  • That vehicle may not be driven by anyone while the registration is suspended

So hopefully the other driver will get these penalties plus be required to pay for the damages they caused to your vehicle. The police should be able to inform you if there will be other penalties for the person for giving false information or inaccurate information at the time of the accident.

Since you do not have collision coverage or uninsured motorist property damage it would appear your option is to go after personally the party that caused the accident. This may mean taking them to small claims court or you may be able to negotiate a settlement out of court with them.

The PA Insurance Department should have a consumer division that will be able to give you more advice on what your options may be in this situation and be able to direct you better on how to get the other person to pay for the damages they caused your vehicle.

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This car insurance question was asked on 4/27/2007
This auto insurance answer was last updated on 5/3/2007
Steve T requested this car insurance solution.
Rated 0 out of 10 based on 0 votes.
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