South Dakota Auto Insurance Quotes and
Coverage Guide
South Dakota Motor Vehicle Insurance
Questions & AnswersQ: Is
auto insurance mandatory?
A: Beside such biggies as the Doodle Soup
Festival and the Buford Pusser home and museum, you
may think your responsibility on the roads and
highways is not such an important thing in
Tennessee. But, think again – someone has to watch
out for those wild-eyed drivers tooling down from
the Smokies out here in the Volunteer State. And
just to throw a kink in the line, Tennessee is the
ONLY state in the Union that doesn’t mandate auto
insurance. BUT – lest you think you’ll be at the
mercy of just any crazy driver (or Doodle Soup
eaters or fans of Buford Pusser) if you venture out
on the road, driving privileges CAN be suspended if
a driver has no liability insurance policy in effect
under the following circumstances:
-- is involved in an accident resulting in injury or
death or property damage in the amount of $50 or
more
-- is charged with a moving violation
Q: Is Tennessee a "tort" state?
A: Yes. Tennessee is considered a “tort”
state because there are no restrictions on lawsuits.
The other driver and the other driver’s passengers
can sue the doodle right out of your soup for pain
and suffering as well as for out-of-pocket expenses
such as medical costs if you’re one who crashed into
the guy ahead of you while rubbernecking to catch a
glimpse of Buford Pusser’s place.
Q: What type of insurance is required to purchase
and maintain a Tennessee tag and registration?
A: None. But here’s the catch: Tennessee's
financial responsibility law is similar to the rest
of the states’ compulsory laws because drivers can
be fined if stopped by police or after crashes and
they can’t show proof of financial responsibility.
Then you’ll be glad you went ahead and got the
minimum liability insurance of 25/50/10 (which means
coverage up to $50,000 for all persons injured in an
accident, subject to a limit of $25,000 for one
individual, and $10,000 coverage for property
damage) instead of wasting all your money down at
Buford Pusser’s.
Q: What if I fail to provide evidence of
financial responsibility in Tennessee?
A: A conviction for failure to provide
evidence of financial responsibility is a Class C
misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than
one hundred dollars ($100.00), suspension of your
driver’s license, and a one-way ticket to the Smoky
Mountains, where it’s hoped you’ll stay until you
manage to learn better.
Q: How do I take action against the driving
privileges of a driver who hit my car and has not
reimbursed me for damages?
A: Mail a copy of the investigating officer's
accident report and a copy of your damage estimate
along with a carefully wrapped package of Doodle
Soup to:
Financial Responsibility Division
Tennessee Department of Safety
1150 Foster Ave.
Nashville, TN 37249
The documents will be reviewed, the soup eaten, and
a determination will be made whether action will be
taken against the driver after consultation about
what Buford Pusser would have done. Processing takes
approximately 90 days from mailing. Any damage
claims must be filed 90 days prior to the third
anniversary of the accident.
If a follow-up action by the department is desired,
then it should be requested in writing, along with
additional soup, or you can call (615)741-3954 to
speak to a safety examiner.
Q: What is an SR-22?
A: An SR-22 form is proof of future financial
responsibility as required under Tennessee Code
Annotated 55-12-114 (some law they passed way back
yonder). If you are required to file an SR-22, then
you should contact an insurance company (not Buford
Pusser; he's dead) licensed through the Tennessee
Department of Commerce and Insurance to issue motor
vehicle liability insurance coverage in Tennessee.
And don’t forget to send some soup.
Q: Do I need to file any forms if I’m involved in
an accident?
A: Yes, if the accident involved personal
injury or caused more than $400 in property damage,
you must complete an Owner/Driver Report,
downloadable at
http://www.tennessee.gov/safety/forms/index.html.
Fill it out, sign it, and return it to the Financial
Responsibility Section, P.O. Box 945, Nashville, TN
37202, not Buford’s place. And for heaven’s sake,
include the Doodle Soup.
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