My fault, No insurance

[crawling_ant]

What is the name of your state? Alabama
Like many other the cheapskate dummies out there, I let my car insurance policy lapse when I lost my job. Then, (surprise, surprise) I was recently at fault in a major accident. Now I’m no mechanic, but the other vehicle looked to be totaled. The other driver wasn't wearing her seatbelt but claimed not to be injured at the time. To make matters worse, the person (a relative) from whom I purchased the car has insurance on another car with the same insurance company as the other party in the accident, and I would hate to be the cause of my relative losing auto insurance coverage.

Question 1: Am I responsible for the other party’s injuries even though she wasn't wearing a seatbelt?
Question 2: Although I’m willing to take out a reasonably sized loan to pay for the damages, I’m currently broker than a two-piece eggshell. What can the insurance company do to force me to pay for the damages? Should I be making this post to the bankruptcy forum instead?
Question 3: I bought the car from a relative who signed the title over to me, but we hadn't gone to register a new title. Can he be held responsible?
Question 4: What else do I need to know? (Yes, other than the fact that I'm a complete fool for driving without car insurance.)

Aside: Feel free to blast me with all the "you stupid, idiotic _____" comments you want as long as you can offer some helpful advice. In fact, I'm offering a shiny nickel (see, I told you I was cheap) to anyone who can think of a "worst case scenario" that I haven't already beaten myself up about.

 

[JETX]

"Am I responsible for the other party’s injuries even though she wasn't wearing a seatbelt?"
*** If you are at fault, yes. Though some states have taken to proportional liability for the injuries that the other driver sustained shown to be due to not using seatbelts.

"Although I’m willing to take out a reasonably sized loan to pay for the damages, I’m currently broker than a two-piece eggshell. What can the insurance company do to force me to pay for the damages? Should I be making this post to the bankruptcy forum instead?"
*** They can request you to pay for your stupidity. And if you don't, they can get a judgment against you. If they do get the judgment, they can enforce it by seizing or levying non-exempt assets. If this happens, a bankruptcy MAY help you avoid this debt....

"I bought the car from a relative who signed the title over to me, but we hadn't gone to register a new title. Can he be held responsible?"
*** If the title is still in his name, yes, he will likely be named in the lawsuit.

"What else do I need to know?"
*** You need to learn to grow up and accept responsibility for your own actions. That would be a good start.