What Happens When You Get In an Accident While Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License

Nobody intends to have a car accident. You don’t get up in the morning and think, “This might be a good day for an accident.” That’s why it’s called an accident: an unplanned, unexpected, and unintentional incident. Many things can happen to cause car accidents, and many of those things are nobody’s fault. Sometimes things just happen. What happens if you are in a car accident while driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license? According to the law, anyone who is driving must be in possession of a valid driver’s license. There’s no way around that. But sometimes you just have to go to the store, or go to work, or any number of places.

So, you drove your car while your driver’s license was suspended or revoked, and there was an accident. What now? We can assure you, help is available. There are quite a few variables in this situation, so let’s look at them and see how we can best help you now.

How Does a Driver’s License Get Suspended or Revoked?

One of those two things can happen as a result of several things:

No insurance on the car.
A DUI.
Failure to appear.
Vandalism.
Failure to pay child support.
Underage drinking,

Those are just a few things that can cause the loss of a license. In all those instances, there are steps you can take to get your license back, but some of them will take a bit of time.

How Can I Get My License Back?

No insurance: Get your car insurance reinstated. After a length of time, perhaps as much as a year, you can pay a fee to get your license back.
A DUI: Go through a suspension period, the length of which depends on how many DUIs you’ve had, pay a fee, and show proof of enrollment in a treatment program.
Failure to appear: Appear in court and take care of whatever business brought you there, pay a fee, and you can usually get your license back.
Vandalism or crime committed: At the discretion of the judge.
Failure to pay child support: Pay the child support, a fee and show proof of payment.
Underage drinking: You may have to wait an extra year to get your license.

Check Your State

All states have laws regarding suspended/revoked driver’s licenses. It is against the law in all states to drive without a valid driver’s license. Typically, the penalty is a misdemeanor, but in some cases it can be a felony. Some states require jail time for up to three years, while other states will only impose fees. The state of Illinois has some stiff penalties for driving or being in an accident with a suspended or revoked license:

The first offense is a misdemeanor, and that can mean up to a year in jail.
The next offense is a Class 4 Felony with 1-3 years in jail, a substantial fine of up to $25,000, and they may impound your vehicle.
The next offense involves any combination of the above, and they may take away your license plates and immobilize your vehicle.

You can do a simple Google search for information about the laws in your state, but it can be confusing to navigate the legal advice online, all while trying to determine what applies to you. What you need is an advocate, someone in your corner who will answer all your questions, and give you solid information concerning your specific circumstances. That’s where we come in.

Retaining Legal Help

If you find yourself in this situation of driving or being in an accident with a suspended or revoked license, it can be quite overwhelming and a little bit scary, to tell the truth. Nobody wants to lose their license. By calling Jeremy M. Wang or one of his associates for a consultation, you can get some solid answers and help if you need it. The sole reason we are here is to help you out of your difficulty, in the fastest and most thorough way we can.

We have represented thousands of clients in the greater Chicago area since 2011. All of our lawyers are highly experienced in traffic cases. Our focus is on traffic and personal injury cases. You can have a free consultation with Mr. Wang or one of his associates simply by contacting them by phone, email, or our online contact form. You’ll find all the information here.

Don’t be shy, and don’t hesitate. Remember, we are here for you. The sooner we can get working on your case, the sooner it will be over and only a memory. Life does go on after these things, and we want to help you get to the life that’s waiting for you. You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain by calling us today. We look forward to hearing from you!

Jeremy M. Wang