Continued Auto Accidents

with a back or head injury unless you have to.

     Check to see if the occupants in your car or the other car are hurt, and then call paramedics as needed. Call the police in any accident situation. This is generally the safest thing to do, even when damage is apparently minimal. Get the names and badge number of police officers who respond to the scene. Do not make any statements about who you think was at fault. Do not admit blame to the other parties or witnesses.

     Liability is a legal question to be settled only after all the facts have been gathered and studied. Give your name, address, date of birth, car license, driver’s license number, and name of your insurance company and policy number to the other driver. Get the same information from the other driver. Write down the names and addresses of all passengers and possible witnesses. As soon as possible after the accident, notify your insurance company. Do not admit fault or discuss the accident with anyone but your insurance agent, the police, and your attorney.

     
If your car was damaged in an accident, and is not driveable, you will need to obtain a rental car if you don’t have any other transportation. Many insurance companies will not authorize rental cars on a direct billing to them, until they have verified liability for the accident by interviewing their own insured, or reviewing a report filed by an investigating police officer. If you are injured, you may want to see an accident attorney for help with a rental car.

     If you are not injured, you can contact the insurance of the party at fault, and request rental car arrangements. Or you can contact your own insurance company if you have rental car coverage on your own policy. You may have to rent a care on your own credit card and get reimbursement from the insurance company. Some companies offer special rates for rented cars in an automobile accident case. Your lawyer can try to set up an arrangement where the insurance company pays the rental car expense directly to the rental car agency.

     If you have questions on your rights regarding rental cars, repairing or replacing your car, or other matters relating to an automobile accident, you may want to consider getting advice from an accident attorney.

     
If you are injured by an uninsured driver, you may still be able to pursue a claim for the uninsured motorist coverage of your automobile insurance policy. The no fault carrier may provide coverage to you for your medical bills, rehabilitation, and work loss that was caused by the accident.

     The exact way which your claim will be handled depends upon the language of your insurance policy. It is wise to have this matter investigated as soon as possible by an experienced lawyer.

     
If you are injured by another driver, either in your vehicle or another person’s vehicle, and it is not your fault, and if your bodily injury claim is worth more than the liability coverage purchased by the driver at fault, your insurance company may pay the difference between the value of your claim and what you receive from the liability insurance of the driver at fault.

     For example, let’s say you have a bodily injury claim worth $35,000 and the driver at fault has a liability coverage limit of $25,000. In this example, you would receive $25,000 of the liability coverage of the at-fault driver and $10,000 from the underinsured coverage on your policy. This is an important coverage as it protects you and your family from catastrophic injuries you may suffer in an automobile accident.

     There are other times when underinsured coverage may benefit you. If you have a question regarding insurance coverage, call a lawyer familiar with accident cases. Many lawyers provide free consultations to you.

     
Most state statutes define the crime of drunk driving as operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content , or BAC, above the legal limit. In some states, the accused doesn’t have to be driving, but merely sitting behind the wheel. Many drunk driving cases are initiated when a police officer notices a driver swerving in the road, turning wide corners, stopping inappropriately in traffic, or crossing the center line. The laws and penalties against drunk driving are becoming increasingly severe, and for good reason. Drunk driving is an irresponsible act that poses a grave danger to others on the road.

     As a result, convicted drunken drivers who cause injury to others, are apt to receive criminal level judgement from the court.