Whether you are driving a luxury sedan or a regular coupe, a car accident can shake your finances to the core. Along with leaving you to foot the bill for vehicle repairs, car accidents can also conjure up a world of medical expenses.
While insurance can cover these costs, that’s not always the case. In many jurisdictions, motorists who are at fault for the accident face quite a few issues in fulfilling their insurance claims. That’s why, determining fault is a prime factor for insurance adjusters. It also holds up as critical evidence in personal injury cases.
With this in mind, it’s critical that whenever you run into a car accident, you take quick steps to properly find the party at fault. Learn more, this helps you decide your next few steps in fulfilling your insurance and legal claims.
From contacting an auto accident lawyer to doing a physical check, here’s how you can know if you are the victim of your car collision.
Reach Out to an Auto Accident Lawyer
With their specific skill set and extensive expertise, car accident attorneys specialize in handling road collision cases. Through their study of evidence such as police reports and the condition of your car, these lawyers can make an objective assessment that can help you project your next course of action.
This gives you a sense of confidence in filing your insurance and legal claims. In cases where you are at fault, you can decide whether pursuing the case or covering the bills yourself is more favorable for you.
Go Through Police Reports
In case you or the other motorist called law enforcement on the scene of the accident, you would most likely have a police report on record. This report notes down important observations such as traffic citations from the scene, which may sometimes also include the officers’ assessment of the driver at fault.
By accessing this report, you can determine key details from the perspective of law enforcement officers. An auto accident lawyer can access these records for you, but you may also request for them by yourself.
Do a Physical Assessment
A physical assessment may seem like detective work, but there are quite a few basics that make it clear to determine which party is the victim in a car accident. This deduction is reached with help from common traffic rules and observation of roadway conditions.
For instance, it’s common to declare that in rear-end collisions, the car that hit the vehicle from behind was at fault. In contrast, left-hand collisions often point out that the driver of the car taking the turn is to blame. These physical signs can sometimes stand as the deciding factor in a case.
Why is the Process of Determining Fault Critical?
In several U.S. jurisdictions, you need to present evidence of having no fault in the auto accident in order to fully recover your claims.
On the other hand, many states follow personal injury protection (PIP), which causes insurance companies to cover essential expenses regardless of the driver’s fault. However, PIP or no-fault insurance is not available in every state. In regions where PIP is available, filing for a claim can also increase your future premiums.
That is why, it’s important that you take the necessary steps of determining fault after you experience the auto accident and receive medical attention as necessary. In case you want no stones unturned before filing a claim, you can reach out to an auto accident lawyer to take care of the process for you.
By keeping the following steps in mind, you can steer clear of surprising consequences while you pursue your claims. This ensures that you don’t have to add more stress to your life right after going through a car collision.
You may be interested in: “Types of Car Accident Injuries and Potential Symptoms”