ANSWERS: 3
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Auto insurance is required under California law, so driving without insurance is a crime. It's a violation of California Vehicle Code section 16028(a). It's an infraction, but carries a hefty fine (over a thousand dollars in some jurisdictions). If you're asking about how/where this would be resolved, the two court systems operate independent of each others' decisions. You could be charged with the criminal offense of driving without insurance in a criminal court and also sued in civil court for any damage you caused. In response to Tagalong's comment: The question asked if a person was "involved in an accident." I took that to mean the driver of a car. Your comment, without further explanation, in no way undermines the accuracy of my answer. The theory under which you were sued civilly as the registered owner, but not the driver at the time of the accident, could be one of "negligent entrustment" (letting somebody use your car that was known to be unsafe). Not enough information to respond to your comment, but I stand by my original answer.
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Who is at fault is determined independently and separate from the uninsured issue. You can be driving uninsured, unregistered, undocumented and still sue the liable party in civil court - though you can only sue for compensatory damages. That is - no pain and suffering, just actual damages that you paid out of pocket to fix, i.e. repair bill, car rental, etc.
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no insurance is a civil offence. if no injuries it would be in a civil superior Calif.court.
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