There isn’t much you’ll find on the roads that can be as scary as being in a car accident. No one expects that in itself to be starting, but if the traffic accident is significant, a look at a totaled vehicle you were riding in just moments before can be quite sobering. This is why you will often see such anguish on the faces of those who have just experienced an accident. Even once the initial adrenaline rush created by the fear of injury subsides, the sensory overload an accident victim experiences does not end there. Next, he or she must overcome the emotion caused by the realization that the chaos has just begun. This is when a little guidance on what to do next can be invaluable.
First things first: make sure no one in any of the vehicles involved is injured. Obviously, if someone has been injured, call 9-1-1. Even if no one is hurt, you will need to call the police at the scene of the accident. You want to make sure they are called in even the slightest accident to ensure that your insurance covers your claim and that no one can accuse you of leaving the scene inappropriately.
Once they arrive, you can be sure that you will have to speak to one or more police officers, so before the police arrive, you need to start weighing your words very carefully. When checking the occupants of any other vehicle, you should be sure not to make any statements that could be construed as an admission of liability for the accident. That will be determined by the police officer when he arrives. As such, he also wants to closely watch what he says to the police officer when he arrives because he doesn’t want him to use anything he might say to issue him a traffic ticket.
Florida is a no-fault state. That means any damage to either vehicle is covered by the individual driver’s insurance company. Even if this is the case, the officer can still issue you a traffic ticket for any violation that he thinks you may have committed that led to the traffic accident. When talking to the officer, less is more. Be short and to the point to ensure that your description of the accident does not incriminate you. It’s also a good idea to try not to charge the other driver. Emotions run high when people are involved in a car accident, and the allegations can quickly escalate into an unpleasant situation.
Once everyone has been checked and the police have been called, it is imperative that you move the vehicles involved to the side of the road. This is to prevent further accidents or injury to yourself or others. Obviously, you don’t want to stray too far from the scene of the accident because you don’t want it to look like you’re trying to “leave the scene.”
Be sure to always carry your insurance information with you, and if you are involved in a car accident, be prepared to exchange your personal and insurance information with the other driver. You should also be sure to get the other driver’s name, phone number, address, and insurance information, as well as an incident report number from the responding officer.
You then need to call your insurance company and provide them with the details of the car accident and the information you have obtained from the other driver. The more information you can provide them, the faster they can resolve your claim. If they are not informed in a reasonable amount of time, they may refuse to cover the damage. An important point about insurance companies: the other party’s insurance company may call you and ask for a statement about the events that occurred. They will be recording your statement in the hope that it will give them a reason not to pay the claim. It is a very bad idea to agree to speak with the other person’s insurance company. That would be a good time to tell them that you are represented by a good traffic ticket lawyer and then give them our number.
Car accidents are often expensive, even when the vehicles are covered by auto insurance. First, you must pay your insurance deductible, which is typically $250 or $500, but could be $1,000 or more, depending on the insurance company insuring the car and the type of coverage the driver selects when select your insurance Naturally, these costs increase once you are in a car accident because most insurance companies rapidly increase their insurance rates, usually by hundreds of dollars per year, if you file a claim for a car accident.
In addition to the cost of increased insurance rates and having to pay a hefty deductible, there are other financial hardships that can arise from being in a car accident. If your car is damaged to the point that you can’t drive it and you don’t have rental car coverage, you could possibly miss time from work. This may not be a huge problem for someone who is salaried, but for hourly employees who have not increased vacation time or comp time, this can seriously affect the paycheck, and when living paycheck to paycheck This can be devastating, especially for families. .
The Florida Highway Patrol that responds to accidents is basically acting as a reporter for the event and will, in all likelihood, issue you a traffic citation regardless of who is at fault. Then, of course, there are the costs associated with getting a traffic ticket. These costs can vary depending on why the driver is being cited. For example, many car accidents are caused by failing to yield, following too closely, or, as is often the case, speeding. Any combination of these actions can be construed as “aggressive driving” and are considered moving violations and these violations are punishable by fines and court costs.
If you’re one of those drivers who tends to take pride in the fact that you’ve never been in an accident or haven’t been in an accident in years, beware. No matter how cautious you are behind the wheel, sometimes it just takes a momentary lapse of judgment or attention for all that to change. Also, don’t forget that you have no control over the other drivers around you. Aggressive or careless driving tactics by someone else can quickly turn your problem into their problem.
