All posts tagged auto accident

5 Ways a Car Accident Can Change Your Life

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/12/14 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on 5 Ways a Car Accident Can Change Your Life

No matter how safe of a driver you might be, an accident can take place at any time. While everyone hopes these situations will be resolved quickly, they often devolve into serious legal battles if any injuries have taken place. Here are just five of the ways that your next accident could end up changing your life.

Points on Your License

When a driver goes to traffic school for the first time, they should learn about the point system and how it will impact their ability to drive. While every state is slightly different, drivers who are at fault for an accident will generally have one or more points placed on their license for up to five years. Those who accumulate too many points could have their license suspended.

Legal Troubles

If an auto accident turns into a trial, it can become a very expensive situation for all parties involved. This is especially common if the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In those scenarios, the charges can result in a license suspension or even time in jail. Drunk drivers might also need to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle once their license has been reinstated.

Chronic Injuries

Immediately following an accident, many drivers and passengers do not even realize they are injured because of their adrenaline. Unfortunately, patients who are not treated immediately often develop lifelong injuries and disabilities. Those who do not receive fair compensation to cover their medical expenses should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney, like Jack W Hanemann,P.S. about their legal options.

Expensive Repairs

In addition to medical bills, many drivers face expensive repairs after an accident. When the damage is severe enough, the car will be declared a total loss and the owner must find the funds to purchase a new vehicle. While your insurance might cover some of the expenses, it is not always enough to replace your old car with a similar make and model.

Higher Insurance Premiums

Many drivers do not realize that the increase in their insurance premiums can be the most expensive part of getting into an accident. In some cases, the points on your license will not come off for many years, and your insurance premiums will stay at a much higher rate until those points are removed.

Once an accident has taken place, it is important for all drivers involved to immediately begin taking steps to protect their health, finances, and driving record.

The First Four Things Your Should Do After Being In A Collision

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/10/17 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on The First Four Things Your Should Do After Being In A Collision

Being in an auto accident can certainly be an extremely frightening experience. Even still, you need to keep your wits about you directly after a collision. What you do next can determine if your finances or even your health will take as much damage as your vehicle. Below are the first four things you should do directly after a collision.

Get Medical Attention

If there is any possibility that anyone in either vehicle involved in the crash was injured, the first thing you should do before anything else is call for an ambulance. According to IIHS.org, there are over 30,000 vehicle related deaths a year. However, with proper medical attention, lives can be saved. You should also keep in mind that the seriousness of some injures such as whiplash may not be immediately apparent. Play it safe and call 9-1-1 if needed.

Call the Police

Another thing you must absolutely do is call the police. If you don’t call the police, you will never obtain a police report regarding the accident. According to the DMV, you should be able to obtain the police report a week after the accident. This will insure that the other party involved in the accident won’t be able to lie or shift blame if the details of the accident are disputed.

Swap Insurance Information

To make sure you aren’t held liable for any damage, you must swap insurance information with the other driver. After doing so, call your insurance company immediately. If they aren’t made aware of the crash right away and aren’t able to contact the other driver’s insurance company to work out the details, there is a possibility you may be accountable for your own repair costs, medical costs and other costs related to the accident.

Contact an Attorney

Sometimes accidents result in lawsuits. This is for good reason too. Insurance may refuse to cover all the expenses related to an accident. The other driver may not have insurance and may have been acting negligently. In some cases car insurance may not be able to cover things like lost wages and pain and suffering, that is why it’s a good idea to seek help from an attorney such as those at Snyder & Wenner, P.C. . Sometimes, compensation for these has to be obtained in court.

Being involved in an accident can be very stressful. Even so, you must take the correct actions after an accident. Not doing so can have great ramifications for your health as well as your financial livelihood.

Disastrous Crash: Should You Scrap Your Car?

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/09/07 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on Disastrous Crash: Should You Scrap Your Car?

After a serious car accident, your car can be severely damaged. This begs the question of whether you should repair it or opt to scrap it instead. While the answer may not be the same for everybody, let’s look at some good reasons why it may be best to get rid of your car as opposed to repairing it.

The Insurance Company Declares It a Total Loss

If your car insurance company declares your car to be a total loss, they will write you a check for its current value. In the event that this amount is more than what you owe on the car, you may want to consider getting a new vehicle. However, should you owe more than that amount or think that the insurance company isn’t offering you true market value, you may want to get a second opinion. It also may be a good idea to talk to Toledo car wreck lawyers about a possible personal injury case if another driver caused the crash.

The Car Suffered Frame Damage

Cars that have a rebuilt frame may not be as sturdy as those who still have their original frames. In addition, the car will not be worth nearly as much after a serious accident even if there isn’t any work done to the frame. Therefore, it may the better decision from both a financial and safety standpoint to get a new car.

How Old Is the Car?

If your car is more than a few years old, it may be a good idea to scrap it and get a new one. However, it may be best to at least get some repair estimates if you are driving a vintage automobile or a luxury vehicle regardless of its age. In such a scenario, it may be worth your time and money to restore it if you really like the car.

How Valuable Are the Parts?

There are times when selling the parts to a car individually nets more than selling the car as a whole. If you can salvage some of the car’s components, you may want to think about getting rid of the car and selling those components online to raise money for a new vehicle.

If you have been in a serious accident, the most important thing is to make sure that you and others involved are OK. However, once you have gotten yourself checked out, it’s time to decide what to do with your damaged vehicle. Talking to your insurance company or with a trusted mechanic may help you decide what the best option is for you.

5 Reasons You Should Quickly Fix Even Minor Repairs Following An Auto Accident

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/08/29 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on 5 Reasons You Should Quickly Fix Even Minor Repairs Following An Auto Accident

A minor car accident or fender bender is a giant blight on an otherwise busy day. Worse, it’s not an event that only impacts that single day, but can actually have ramifications that lasts for weeks as you work with a mechanic to fix the damages. Sometimes, people decide to skip the repairs and instead keep the money paid by the at-fault driver or insurance company. Let’s take a look at five reasons this might not be such a great idea.

There Could Be Legal Ramifications

If you aren’t technically the owner of the car because you’re still making loan payments, then you are technically responsible for keeping the car in good repair for the actual owner. If the insurance company writes a check for the damage and you cash it, but the check also lists your lender, then you may actually be committing a crime by keeping the money.

You Never Know When You’ll Need to Sell

Most people don’t plan to keep their current cars forever. There will eventually come a day when you want to sell your car or trade it in. Making sure you’ve dealt with all minor repairs will make it easier when it comes time to sell or trade in the vehicle. Buyers are turned off from even minor problems with vehicles, so taking care of repairs quickly can help ensure your car is back to normal and safe to drive again.

Minor Damage Can Turn Into Major Problems

What looks like minor damage to the unskilled eye can actually become a major contributor to bigger problems when it’s ignored. For example, a small fender bender might have also resulted in a small water pump leak that could grow and lead to an engine overheating. Additionally, ignored suspension and steering issues can lead to dangerous wear and tear patterns on tires and poor handling — which in turn can even lead to more accidents. By taking your car to professionals like those at Chehalis Collision Center, you can be sure repairs are done quickly and expertly. By having professionals take a look at the damage, you can prevent major problems that be costly in the end.

You May Miss the Statute of Limitations

A car accident claim, even for minor damages, is not something you can wait forever to file. Each state has its own statute of limitations. Bringing your car in for a quick fix of minor repairs ensures that you get a quote to submit to the insurer well before the statute expires and you’re left holding the bag for auto repairs on your own.

Minor repairs can prevent big problems. They ensure your lender stays happy and that your vehicle is always in the best possible condition for resale. There’s no excuse for skipping such a simple yet vital step in the regular maintenance of your automobile.

Bad Accident? 5 Ways to Avoid Pesky Legal Issues

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/01/27 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on Bad Accident? 5 Ways to Avoid Pesky Legal Issues

Unfortunately, accidents are never planned hence why they are called an accident. Therefore, when they happen numerous things need to be done very quickly. Otherwise, a simple legal situation may become very complex. To keep this from happening, there are five things that accident victims can do to protect themselves and in order to follow the law.

Take Detailed Notes

If a person is involved in an accident, it pays to take detailed notes if possible while still at the scene. Writing down the date, time, names of people involved, what led up to the accident, and more can play a pivotal role if the case goes to court. However, copies of these notes should not be given to police officers at the scene or any insurance company personnel. Instead contact a law firm such as Hammett, Bellin & Oswald LLC and turn the notes over to them for use as potential evidence in the case. With these notes, try and take photos if you can and keep them with the notes that you have already taken.

Call the Police

If an accident involves injuries to others or significant property damage, the police should be contacted as soon as possible. In fact, if more than $1,000 in damages is done to personal property or $200 damage to government property, the law requires that police be called to the scene. The police will then take statement from any and all parties involved in the accident to get an accurate report of what actually happened. This report can be accessed by all parties should any legal or insurance issues arise. Make sure that you do not leave the scene of the accident until you are dismissed by the police officer.

Photos and Videos

Thanks to cell phones, photos and videos can be taken instantaneously at virtually any accident scene. If a case goes to court or is questioned by an insurance company, these key pieces of evidence can turn the case around in a hurry. If possible, take pictures of the damage done to the vehicles, the accident scene itself, and anything else that may be relevant to the case.

Make Sure the Scene is Safe

To ensure no other damage is done or people injured, make the scene as safe as possible. If able, get vehicles moved out of the way of traffic and use flares, blinkers, or other lights to alert others to the accident scene.

Contact an Attorney

In addition to the previous steps, contacting an attorney experienced in accidents and personal injury can be crucial to getting any compensation you may deserve. Accident cases, especially auto accidents, are very complex and usually require an attorney with many years of experience in this area.

By taking these steps when involved in an accident, it may be possible to avoid many legal pitfalls later on. However, it may not be possible if any other party involved decides to pursue legal action. While it’s never guaranteed how any accident will play out in court or with insurance companies, being as prepared as possible will put the odds greatly in your favor.

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