Principal Attorney
Even under New York’s no-fault car insurance system, several factors can impact your ability to recover compensation from an insurer for your medical expenses and financial losses following an accident. Can an expired New York inspection lead to an insurer denying your car accident claim? How can you pursue the money you need after a significant accident?
The Nassau County car accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Civardi & Obiol want to help you understand what factors can influence a New York car accident claim and whether an expired inspection can derail your compensation claim.
New York Vehicle Inspection Requirements
New York law mandates that all motor vehicles be in safe operating condition. The state stipulates that all vehicles must be inspected by a licensed inspecting station at least every 12 months. This inspection helps the state determine whether the vehicle is operating safely. Inspections must occur before the current inspection sticker expiration date or when a vehicle gets registered to a new owner.
When a vehicle passes inspection, the state can issue a new sticker, which the owner must always display on the vehicle.
Can an Expired Inspection Lead to a Denied Car Accident Claim?
Can an expired inspection lead to a denied car accident claim? It depends on the circumstances of the accident. In most cases, an expired inspection may not impact your ability to recover compensation under New York’s no-fault car insurance system. Following the accident, you turn to your insurance company for help. Your personal injury protection coverage can help compensate you for your medical expenses and some other losses. Additionally, if a careless driver hits you, an expired inspection on your part does not affect the other driver’s reckless actions.
However, suppose you or the other driver is significantly injured and pursues compensation via a personal injury lawsuit. In that case, an expired inspection might impact your ability to recover maximum compensation for your injuries. How?
New York follows a pure comparative fault rule, meaning your compensation gets tied to the percentage of fault you bear for causing a collision. The other driver can provide evidence that your inspection sticker was expired. If one of the components of your vehicle that would have been inspected contributed to the crash, your failure to get a timely inspection could indicate negligence on your part. As a result, the court could assign partial blame to you and diminish your overall compensation. The pure comparative negligence doctrine binds court decisions in New York, but it also guides how an insurer may value your claim.
Penalties for an Expired Inspection
A resourceful Nassau Country car accident attorney can help determine whether an expired inspection can impact your insurance claim and help you fight for the money you deserve. However, remember there may be other consequences if you’re caught with an expired inspection sticker. You cannot renew your vehicle registration when your vehicle has no valid and current inspection on record. Other penalties can include:
- Inspection sticker expired in the past 60 days – fines between $25 and $50
- Inspection sticker expired more than 60 days – fines between $50 and $100
- Mandatory surcharges can be added to the fines
- Vehicles without current inspection stickers can receive parking tickets and fines between $50 and $100 plus a mandatory $88 surcharge (in town and village courts, the surcharge is $93)
To avoid these penalties, have your vehicle inspected regularly by a licensed inspection station.
Contact a Skilled Car Accident Attorney Today
Your insurance company is not on your side. They want to protect themselves and keep profit margins high, which means they may use tactics to diminish the overall value of your claim. Protect yourself and contact a skilled car accident attorney for help, especially if your safety inspection has expired before you were injured in a crash. We want to help you recover the compensation you need.
Contact our office today to request a free legal consultation.