Spanish law obliges all motor vehicle owners to take out and maintain insurance. However, the Directorate General for Traffic estimates the number of vehicles without insurance at 2.6 million, approximately 8% of the total. In the last decade, the number of traffic accidents involving an uninsured vehicle exceeded 300,000 claims.
This represents a risk for the owners of what are known as “zombie vehicles”: in an accident they will not only have to face the sanctions for non-compliance with the legislation, they will also have to face the expenses and damages derived, whether or not they are at fault.
The Road Safety Law requires the guilty party to face the damages and expenses derived from the accident. What cases can you find yourself in a traffic accident without insurance and who is responsible in each one?
According to current legislation, any vehicle with regular parking in Spain is required to have insurance and only after deregistering the vehicle does this obligation disappear. Keeping a policy up to date is, in addition to a legal obligation, the best way to be covered against possible accidents and their disastrous consequences.
In the event of suffering a traffic accident in which one of those involved does not have a policy, it is advisable to request legal advice to guarantee that the procedures carried out by the insurer and the CCS are carried out in the simplest way and are the most favorable for all parts.
