What is the penalty for driving without insurance in Mississippi?

The purpose of car insurance in Mississippi is to keep you safe on the road. It won’t prevent accidents, but it will prevent you from financial ruin if you are involved in an accident.

From repairing your vehicle to providing you with the funds to pay for your medical bills, your insurance is the most valuable asset you have when an accident occurs.

If you are the at-fault driver in an accident, the victim might file a personal injury lawsuit. Do you have the funds to pay out of your pocket for their excessive medical bills, repairs, and even their lost wages?

Most people don’t have tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars lying around to cover the cost of a personal injury lawsuit. Many people haven’t even the funds to cover the cost of repairing their own car following an accident.

Mississippi drivers cannot afford to go without car insurance, but you can afford a good policy if you take the time to shop around, compare rates, and find the best coverage. The only requirement is you purchase at least the minimum coverage required by Mississippi law.

Compare car insurance quotes today to find the best car insurance for your situation. Enter your ZIP code above to get started.

Is car insurance required in Mississippi?

No one in Mississippi is permitted to drive without an insurance policy. It’s illegal, and you face fines and penalties if you’re caught driving without insurance.

If you’re not caught because you’re pulled over or involved in an accident, you’ll be caught when the lender with which you financed your car does a monthly check to ensure the vehicle they own is properly covered. It’s too expensive to forgo paying for insurance.

All Mississippi drivers are required to carry at least the statewide minimum. This requirement is:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury
• $50,000 per accident worth of total bodily injury insurance
• $25,000 per accident worth of property damage

Anytime you compare rates with any insurance company, they include all the minimum requirements as well as the additional coverage you might want or need.

If you want to pay for only the minimum coverage, you must own your car outright. If your car is financed or leased, you must carry full coverage to protect the car as per the lender’s requirement.

Failing to provide the required insurance coverage on a financed or leased car results in the lender choosing coverage and opening an insurance policy for you. They won’t shop around to find the best rates for you.

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What is the penalty for driving without insurance in Mississippi?

Unlike other states where you get a first offense penalty followed by second, third, and subsequent offense penalties, Mississippi lawmakers want you to learn your lesson the first time you’re caught without insurance.

The fine does not start small and become progressively more expensive each time you’re stopped for driving without insurance. The fine is $1,000 every time you are caught without insurance.

In addition to a $1,000 fine for driving without insurance in Mississippi, you’re also facing license and registration suspension. The state can suspend these things for as many as 12 months or until you’re able to purchase insurance and prove you have a valid policy.

Form SR-22 is one that shows financial responsibility in terms of car insurance, and you must use this form to prove you have insurance before the state is willing to reinstate your license.

If you are caught driving without insurance in conjunction with another infraction, the fines and penalties are more serious.

For example, if you’re caught driving without insurance because you cause an accident, break a law, or you are caught driving under the influence, you also face the penalties for those crimes in addition to the fines and penalties for driving without insurance.

How does insurance protect you in an accident?

Between 2014 and 2015, Mississippi car accident deaths rose eight percent.

This statistic is bad news for drivers in Mississippi considering accident fatalities have been steadily decreasing in the rest of the country over the years thanks to better cars, more safety features, and more strict driving laws.

If you’re involved in a car accident in which a fatality occurs in Mississippi and you’re the at-fault driver, you could end up facing a lawsuit that costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Your insurance protects you by paying for the repairs to your car and the car you hit, paying your medical bills and the medical bills of the victim, and it pays out any settlements decided upon following a personal injury and/or wrongful death lawsuit in Mississippi.

The costs of these lawsuits are astronomical, and most people cannot afford to pay them without insurance on their side.

Insurance also protects your car. If you don’t have insurance and can’t afford to fix your car, you continue to pay for a vehicle you can’t drive. You can’t get to and from work, run errands, or drive anywhere.

If your health insurance doesn’t cover the overall cost of all your injuries, you’re responsible for the additional cost. It’s too expensive to ignore an insurance policy.

Cheap Car Insurance in Mississippi

You can’t afford not to have insurance in Mississippi. If you worry about affording a policy, call around to compare rates. Check your credit report to fix any mistakes to raise your score as high as possible so you don’t appear to be a risky driver.

Ask for discounts. Compare rates, and don’t be afraid to negotiate with your current agent if his or her office is not offering the lowest quote. Enter your ZIP code below to begin comparing rates today!

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