Car Accident Today. Driver At Fault Had No License or Insurance

[TurcoLoco]

Originally Posted by Patrolman

I don't know what city this occurred in, but if I had been the officer that responded, I would have cited the driver and impounded the vehicle. No license - no insurance - questionable registration - he wouldn't be allowed to drive away.

This is what I would think should/would have been the correct way to process this. The officer who oversaw bob's collision made an error, big time.

Originally Posted by bobsnow

El Monte. The female officer ( who was VERY nice & helpful) had a mexican last name & had to speak to the man in Spanish. In all honesty, she didnt exactly treat the situation like it was
big deal. Just being honest. She did tell me that she was citing him for no DL & no INS.

She was being biased. She let him go because she felt for him but her error is likely to cost others, even that very same day. Even if you are only lacking valid insurance, your license gets revoked for a year. At that point you have no driving privileges. Citations is just an addition but not the only form of punitive action.
He had no insurance, no license, presumably an illegal, do you honestly expect him to pay you back anything?

If you get into a collision, the only time you may not want to seek police assistance/report is if you are totally at fault. Even if the other guy admits fault 100% and you have an eye-witness, get a police report. Later on when things cool off, people very likely to change their story, lie, cheat, etc.
Get all your facts (police reports, witness contact info, other drivers paperwork). If there is a valid registration on the vehicle then there has to be a valid insurance too. Remember car insurance insures the vehicle not the driver. This could vary from state-to-state but most any insurance company in CA should cover if an insured vehicle was driven at the time with the permission of the registered owner of the vehicle and also the driver had a valid driver's license.

In bobsnow's case, he would have to go after the registered owner of the vehicle. That is his best bet unless, the old man just bought the car from someone. In that case, the old man would be the owner and should have the title, then you go after him (small claims court). Either way, very cumbersome and headache process.

If the vehicle has no easily identifiable person that can claim the financial responsibility, it should not be on the road in case something like this happened. This is why what the female officer did was a mistake.
And this is why "uninsured motorist coverage" costs so much to the person asking for that coverage because it is almost always a 100% loss to the insurance company and they past it onto you.

Illegal immigrants from the South of the border are by far the worst drivers in CA today, and the main factor for our jacked up insurance rates.

[Fiona8484]

Originally Posted by Patrolman

I don't know what city this occurred in, but if I had been the officer that responded, I would have cited the driver and impounded the vehicle. No license - no insurance - questionable registration - he wouldn't be allowed to drive away.

I agree, I am shocked that they let the guy just drive off.

[VoxTerra]

Originally Posted by pharmboyinSD

Wow, no license or insurance and the police just let the guy get back into his truck and drive off? Crazy, but IMO that truck should have been impounded and the vehicles owner cited as well.

And people wonder why I want to GTFO of California..

[expatCA]

Maybe sue the sanctuary city he lives in, which allows him to break all these laws and harm residents.

[orcadrvr]

As stated above, uninsured motorist coverage is only for personal injury.
Property damage (such as damage to your car) is covered by collision and comprehensive coverage, subject to whatever deductible you specified when you purchased the property.

[mtnbkr5]

When you contact the police and they are hesitant to show up, TELL THEM YOU WERE THREATENED WITH PHYSICAL VIOLENCE by occupant or occupants in the other vehicle. Say you saw a knife or something. THEN they better respond. You pay for law enforcement, you're entitled to it.

[Patrolman]

Originally Posted by mtnbkr5

When you contact the police and they are hesitant to show up, TELL THEM YOU WERE THREATENED WITH PHYSICAL VIOLENCE by occupant or occupants in the other vehicle. Say you saw a knife or something. THEN they better respond. You pay for law enforcement, you're entitled to it.

Bad move. Don't lie about something as serious as that to get the police to respond. You can say you "feel" physical threatened, but if you escalate that to a weapon being involved, that kicks the police response up a notch to a dangerous level. If I had to respond to a call, any call, in which there is reported a weapon involved, I'd have my service sidearm unholstered and ready to use before I arrived on scene. And plenty of cavalry behind me, just in case.