Rant! Holes in our justice system!

[Debbi]

Sorry to hear that. You are lucky the police even responded. A couple of years back we were out of state in a rental vehicle and was hit by a teen driving thru a parking lot of a convenience store about 70mph (and according to her mom the seventh such accident in 6 months - another story). Police wouldn't even respond. We had to go to the police station to file a report because the rental place HAD to have a police report.

[Angelo]

Paul, you may check with your insurance company and tell them what happened. Sometimes the insurance companies work it out themselves. It may be possible
he was covered during that period.

[Dsheree]

I got hit by a guy without insurance & no dirver's license that told the officer he had been drinking and was on his way to get more beer. Totaled my truck and broke my ankle. He never had to pay a penny. Not even a ticket.

It's sucks...feel your pain. Get mad and yell and get over it cuz there is nothing we can do to change it.

[BlueStar-57]

Just wait until you have a hit and run and they don't get fined for it.
I was in Weatherford stopped at a light along the access road to the freeway and got hit from behind by a lady on a cell phone. When I could I pulled off to the side of the road giving her room to pull over and as I was getting out of the car she shot past me onto the freeway. Thinking if this happened to an old couple they would be out of luck I got back in and chased her down. She pulled over again and as I was looking to see what the damage was she was crying and back on her cell phone. I got in my car to get a pen to write insurance info down, but before I got out I wrote down her plate number. Getting out she got back in and drove off again, but this time I just went to a close gas station and called the police on her. Ended up insurance did pay to get my car fixed, but supposively an older woman driving than what I saw-a kid. I pressed it to see if she was charged with a hit and run and she wasn't. As stated if it had happened to an older couple they probably wouldn't have even been able to get a plate number. So hit and run is no longer a crime unless you kill someone?
BTW what I did was very dangerous and not what the average person should do since in another case when the person pulled over they got out and shot the guy. If they are going to run it's best just to get close enough to get a plate number and then call it in.

I feel for you, but in order to make changes the laws have to be changed. Only the people can get laws changed, united we do stand and divided we do fall. And divided we end up flipping the bill to let others get away with anything. If the police came to the scene and wrote down he had insurance and then saw him leave the private parking lot onto a public street and later found out he was not insured it seems they should at least be able to fine him for driving without insurance. Best place to vent is with your local State Representative and get everyone else here who has been wronged to do the same. Maybe they will come up with a new law called the TPF bill that will put a stop to this kind of injustice.

[Bill]

Paul,

Scott is incorrect about garnishing wages in Texas on a judgment in this situation, I believe. The court will know. You may be able to write an unpaid judgement off your taxes, however. Check with your tax person.

Since the problem occurred on private property, I doubt that the guy's license would be suspended for nonpayment of a judgment. Check with Texas Department of Transportation.

Bill

[hhscr]

I got hit on a city street by driver with no license, no insurance and it cost me $250 for my deductible under Uninsured Coverage and I bet I will never see it again. There is definatly something broken with our system.

Looks to me like, the first thing that should happen is the uninsured driver goes straight to jail and does not get out until some arrangments for restitution is made to the victim and if they don't follow through they go back to jail.

[robert t]

It's not a police or a justice issue. I was not a criminal act by law, due to lack of intent. If he had done it with intent it would be criminal mischief. Motor vehicle laws only pertain to roadways/property owned by the state, county or city. You don't have to have insurance to be parked on private property drive on private property. The law was written by lawyers not cops. So if you have 100 acres of property you can drive all over it anyway you want with no tags, sticker or insurance all that only applies when the vehicle is operated on the roadway. The law allows for people to make bond, until trial only then can a punishment be accessed and that is jail or fine for breaking the law. Motor vehicle violations do not deal with punitive damages that must be dealt with in civil court as mentioned above. Folks spend plenty of time and money working on beating the system in court and in the legislature having laws manipulated.