Driving Without Insurance – Don’t Ever Do This

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Driving Without Insurance Dont Ever Do This
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A couple times a year, someone walks through my
door whos had an accident, are not at fault, but
have no insurance to help.It doesnt matter how
badly theyre injured, with no insurance, theres
simply nothing I can do to help. Its
heartbreaking.
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Having a motor vehicle accident is bad enough,
but when youre uninsured, things quickly
escalate from bad to worse. Ill Just Take It
For A Quick SpinPeople take chances all the
time.
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Perhaps a car enthusiast who has spent the last
year restoring a classic takes it around the
block just one time to see how she purrs.Or a
motorcycle owner rides a block down to his
neighbours yard to store his bike for the winter.
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Neither vehicle is insured, but its just a 30
second trip what could happen?Lewis vs.
MathesonAsk Arthur Matheson.Mr. Matheson is a
hard-working farmer in small town Ontario who
used to use an ATV on his farm.
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It wasnt insured he never took it off his
property.Except one day, six years ago, when he
drove on the road for less than 30 seconds, less
than 100 yards, a shortcut to the field where his
sheep grazed.
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Matheson was rammed by a hit and run driver,
airlifted to hospital and suffered catastrophic
brain injury, a shattered leg, and a fractured
spine, ribs and arm.
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Mr. Matheson initially sued the other driver,
Lewis, insurance company and won (the judge
agreed that the ATV was a farming vehicle thus
didnt need insurance.) But Lewis insurance
company appealed the decision through the Ontario
Court of Appeal. It went to court last July. This
time Matheson lost.
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The message here is clear It doesnt matter why
your vehicle is on the road or for how long. It
doesnt matter if youre a good person or not.
You cant drive an uninsured vehicle, and if you
do, and something happens, youre on your own.
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Its hard enough recovering from an injury thats
not your fault, but imagine having to pay legal
fees for the person who left you for death at the
side of the road? Mr. Matheson is on the hook for
the 55k it took Lewis insurance company to
appeal.
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The law may seem a bit heavy handed in this case,
but if we take a different tact, this zero
tolerance approach makes sense Imagine that that
well-intentioned but uninsured driver who was
only on the road for a minute or two accidentally
struck a little girl playing at the bottom of her
driveway?
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Then what? There is no insurance company for her
family to negotiate with to get her the care she
needs. Sure, the law may be heavy handed, but I
understand why.
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So I ask you this If you have a snowmobile or
ATV, or even a car youve been restoring, Do not
put the key in the ignition if you dont have
insurance.Do not even think of taking it off
your property, even for a test run or to drop it
at the neighbours.
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If youre injured while driving without
insurance on a public road, youre on your own,
and the only thing worse is injuring another and
putting them through it.If your vehicle is on
the road, you must have insurance, no
exceptions.http//derekwilsonlaw.ca/