Can You Still File A Car Accident Claim If Your Driver’s License Has Expired?



Being involved in a car accident can be a scary experience, especially if it is your first time. The average person usually does not know the right steps to take, which puts them at a disadvantage. If you have been injured because of another party, one of the steps you should take is to file a claim with their liability insurance. 

You can recover various damages if you can successfully prove liability. However, the process is not simple. Moreover, things can get even more complex if you drive with an expired license. Since the insurance company may try to use this against you, hire a car accident attorney in Los Angeles to protect your rights. 

What happens if you drive a car with an expired license?

You may be thinking that driving a car with an expired license is better than driving without one. However, that is only a misconception. Driving with an expired license in Los Angeles is just as looked down upon by the court as driving without a license. You won’t have an advantage here just because you used to own a valid license at one point. 

Driving a car with an expired license is against the law. Therefore, you should be ready to face some problems along the process. For starters, the insurance company will try their best to use this factor against you, and they will be well within their rights to do so. 

Having an invalid license can be considered irresponsible. The insurance company may try to raise the argument that you are an irresponsible person, and thus, you may as well have caused the accident. An attorney can help you and gather evidence to prove your innocence. 

Can you receive compensation once you establish liability?

You may be thinking the only obstacle you need to cross is the evidence-gathering process. However, even when you have proven liability to the other party, their insurance company may still use dirty tactics to lower your claim. They will go out of their way to pay you as little as possible. They may deny liability or claim that you were at least partially responsible for the accident since your license has expired. 

It is important to remember that an expired license does not mean that a driver forgets how to operate a vehicle. Therefore, the insurance company simply cannot deny the claim because your license has expired. However, they will try to trick you into believing that they can and hope that they hit their target. This is where an attorney can help.

An attorney can protect you from the dirty tricks of the insurance company. They like to take advantage of people who are not well-versed with the laws. Make sure you are not one of them.