TN fines for driving on a suspended license

[TrackMom]

A week ago I was in an auto accident in Alcoa Tennessee. The other vehicle failed to yield at an intersection, however the driver was ticketed for driving on a suspended license and no insurance. I wasn't told anything at the accident scene, I learned this information from the accident report on Thursday. She was not ticketed for failure to yield though. She was transported to the ER. She was not the owner of the vehicle, which didn't have insurance either. My question is, what are the typical fines in Tennessee for driving on a suspended license and causing an accident? Also what will the fine be for not having automobile insurance? The person needs to be off the road, she's dangerous.

[CelticSmackdown]

The citation for failure to yield was not issued PROBABLY because the bigger offense involved a driver who was operating a vehicle while under suspension. They should not have been on the road to begin with and if they stayed off the road like they were supposed to, the accident would not have occurred.

Also, if there aren't any non-involved witnesses, it's really hard to determine who is at fault in a failure to yield situation.

Contact the Tennessee Department of Public Safety regarding their fines. They should have a website with that information.

[Safety Steve]

The officer could be doing a case report and getting a warrant for the other driver. Down here it is a Class B Misdemeanor to be DWLS and have no proof of insurance. I make the arrest on the spot and have the vehicle towed. Since injuries are involved, I would do my case report and wait till they were released from the hospital before getting a warrant.


Be Safe.

[scott715us]

The fines/punishment for driving on a suspended license are not high. That is one of the most charged offenses we have in TN. For not having insurance, she will probably lose her license for another year, but that probably won't keep her from driving. Driving on a suspended license is a class B misdemeanor. It may vary among jurisdictions, but in Nashville they normally receive probation, fine, and further loss of license. If they are arrested enough times for driving-related offenses, the court can declare them a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO). Once this happens, every time they are caught driving it's a felony. Even if she wasn't cited for failure to yield, the officer likely put her at fault on the state traffic crash form. Your insurance company can go after her civilly for the money that it will cost to fix your vehicle.

[TrackMom]

It was a very confussing situation. The Officers at the scene hardly spoke to me, they spent a great deal of time with the other people in the other car. The accident report was accurate in my opinion, however I worried from Sunday until Thursday as to how it would read. The situation was more complicated because the other vehicle had Ohio plates on it and a pack of their friends or family came pouring out of a hotel nearby, however, they were local to the area. I was upset, their family was transported to the hospital in a police car behind the ambulance, however I was told to walk back to my hotel carrying my work computer and stuff. I held my emotions in check until that, then I busted into tears and went walking up the hill to the hotel.

Thanks again for the information. After reading the TN law I thought she would be arrested but have no clue if that is the case or not. People such as she doesn't belong on our highways, I hope the justice system in TN takes care of this problem.

[scott715us]

They wouldn't arrest her on site if she was transported to the hospital. They can either wait till she is cleared medically and/or go get a warrant. She's likely to get charged since she was in an injury collision.