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Home > It's A Legal Matter > Proof of Insurance Letter
Proof of Insurance Letter
By Jeff Terrill
Fort Wayne Reader
2015-11-22
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) suspends thousands of driving privileges each year. Impaired driving, failure to pay child support, too many traffic tickets or driving without insurance are just a few of the ways Indiana drivers can lose their licenses. Losing the ability to drive lawfully is crippling.
Meet Emily. She’s not a real person. A few weeks ago, Emily was sitting in her car with her two young children buckled safely in the back seat. Out of nowhere, a pickup truck slammed into the back of her car. Medics took Emily and her children to the emergency room. Emily’s husband met her and the kids at the hospital. A doctor explained how lucky they all were to avoid serious injuries.
The following morning, Emily’s husband contacts their insurance company to report the accident. A few hours later, an adjuster from their insurance company calls Emily to ask her about the accident. Emily speaks with the adjuster but is really out of it from her pain medication. The adjuster explains that the driver of the pickup truck was clearly at fault but doesn’t have insurance.
Bills from the towing company, ambulance, hospital and medical group seemed to arrive daily. Emily’s insurance company also sends letter, some of which request signatures while others seem to be duplicates. Emily’s back and neck still hurt. She is overwhelmed.
A few days after the accident, Emily receives a letter from the BMV. The letter mentions something about Emily receiving a traffic citation or being involved in an accident. The letter goes on to state that Emily needs to show proof of insurance or her driving privileges will be suspended. Emily knows she has insurance. The officers at the accident scene know she had insurance. The guy who was clearly not paying attention and who slammed his truck into the back of Emily’s car was the guy who didn’t have insurance.
Emily puts the letter in her crash file. She mentions it to her husband a few days later. He reminds Emily that they’ve always had car insurance. Emily fails to tell her insurance agent to send proof of insurance to the BMV.
Emily didn’t commit a traffic violation. She didn’t cause the crash. She has insurance. She’s the one with the shooting pain in her neck and back. She’s the one missing work and going to doctor appointments.
Emily’s also the one who, unbeknownst to her, will be driving with a suspended license.
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Jeff Terrill is a partner/shareholder with the law firm of Arnold Terrill Anzini, P.C. Mr. Terrill represents clients accused of crimes throughout northeast Indiana. You can contact Mr. Terrill with any questions or comments at his office at 260.420.7777 or via email at jterrill@fortwaynedefense.com. Learn more about his firm at www.fortwaynedefense.com. This article expressed opinions and observations of the author, is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. Please consult a qualified attorney with any legal questions or issues you might have. Thank you |
