What penalties does the driver of a vehicle who causes a crash face?
If you break other peoples stuff, you'll get a bill for it. Mailboxes, utility poles, those metal crash cushion guardrails - whatever you tear up, you'll get a bill for it. There's generally no need for a lawsuit so long as you, or more likely your insurance company, pays the bill. Where lawsuits come into play is when somebody has ongoing costs or damage which goes beyond just repairing the initial damage and your insurance company isn't willing to just cut a quick check. Do a couple thousand dollars damage to somebody's food truck, and your insurance will certainly pay for that damage, but the business owner who can't do business for a week or two while the truck is being repaired may have to sue for the lost income. Injure someone in a way which causes long term issues, ongoing doctor visits, etc., and your insurance company will likely offer them a decent-sized check to settle the case and all future claims, but attorney offices send people around to police departments to read all the crash reports and identify those people all the time. They'll be getting calls from attorneys encouraging them to hold out for more money with the attorney getting a cut, and then there might be a lawsuit. Of course, the common theme here is that your insurance company is really the one on the hook for most normal stuff. If you make an extremely poor choice and drive without insurance, you're all on your own out there.