What do I do if I rear ended someone and didn't have car insurance?

Answer 1

A number of things may occur in this situation. First off, you can offer to pay for the damage and injuries out of your own pocket. Keep in mind that even if you do this, the party that you hit may continue to come back for more compensation (medical payments, loss of income, pain and suffering, etc.)

Hopefully the party you hit has uninsured motorist coverage. If so, the damage and injuries may be covered. However, even if the insurance company of the party that you hit pays, they may still come back to collect from you. This is called subrogation, and they have a right to garnish your wages, put a lien on your property, etc.

You should also be ready for repercussions from the Department of Motor Vehicles. They may require insurance in the future and/or charge a fine for being uninsured.