What Happens If A Car Accident Is Your Fault?
Most drivers will likely be involved in at least one small accident in their lives, and it is the wise driver who is prepared, which means that he or she will be equipped to handle the inevitable. Every day, hundreds of road traffic accidents occur across the United States, in fact, statistics report that there are more than ten vehicle-related deaths per day, many of which are preventable.
While no one gets in a car prepared to cause an accident, they will happen for a variety of reasons, from bad visibility or fatigue to a lack of caution, all of which can take your focus away from the road resulting in preventable errors such as vehicular and property damage and even serious bodily harm.
Being Mindful of Your Driving
What kind of a driver are you? Did you know that distracted driving is the most common cause of road accidents in the United States followed by speeding, drunk driving, reckless driving, extreme weather conditions and poor car maintenance? When you are driving you want to ensure that you are safe, and that you are doing everything you possibly can to avoid getting into accidents.
What to do When You’re “At Fault”
Sometimes, even when practicing safe driving skills, accidents are inevitable and will happen to any of us at one time or another. So what do you do when you are the At-Fault driver?
The goal is to learn your rights before a crash and when it does occur, it’s important to stay calm, assess the scene and follow the appropriate reporting procedure right after an accident. Most motorists will suffer low-speed contact accidents, rear-end collisions, single-vehicle crashes, or side-impact (T-bone) collisions etc. Always stop or move your car to safety if possible, check yourself or others for injuries and then call 911 emergency and the police immediately.
Filing a Police Report for the Incident
Filling a police report may be a legal requirement in your state regardless of how minor the crash appears as it ensures that all the details of the car accident are documented and all parties involved are protected. While it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are making a claim, you still need to file an accident report with the police as it serves as a record of the incident.
An accurate accident report also allows your insurance company to determine how to proceed and handle your claim. A rule of thumb to live by is to never leave the scene until the police file a full report.
If you are injured or your vehicle is damaged, you should contact a personal injury attorney to determine whether you fall into the injury threshold standard and consequently require additional compensation through your insurance company or a lawsuit. Additionally, for a small fee you can also circumvent high car insurance increases after an “at-fault” accident by adding accident forgiveness to your car insurance policy, subsequently, your rates will not be affected as much due to the accident.
Keep in mind that your insurance rates will likely increase particularly if you were more than 50% at-fault.
Get the Assistance You Need for Your Case in New Port Richey, Florida
If you have been injured in an accident the best thing that you can do is to reach out to an experienced personal injury attorney who can provide a more accurate estimate. They will also be able to help explain the process of the suit and the steps that need to be taken to get started. This is important regardless of whether you believe yourself to be at fault.