Car Accident: What’s Next?

There’s not much you’ll find on the roads that can be as scary as getting into a traffic 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 so much anguish on the faces of those who have just experienced an accident. Even once the initial adrenaline rush created by fear of injury subsides, the sensory overload an accident victim experiences does not end there. Next, he or she must overcome the excitement of realizing 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 injured, 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 your insurance covers your claim and no one can accuse you of leaving the scene inappropriately.

Once they arrive, you can be sure that you will have to talk to one or more police officers, so before the police arrive, you need to start weighing your words very carefully. When checking out the occupants of any other vehicle, you must be sure not to make any statements that could be construed as an admission of responsibility 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 believes you may have committed that led to the traffic accident. When talking to the officer, less is more. Be brief and concise to ensure that your description of the accident does not incriminate you. It’s also a good idea to try not to accuse the other driver. Emotions run high when people are involved in a car accident and accusations can quickly turn 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 injuries to yourself or others. Obviously, you don’t want to stray too far from where the accident happened 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 traffic 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 should then call your insurance company and provide them with the details of the traffic accident and the information you have obtained from the other driver. The more information you can provide them with, the faster they can resolve your claim. If they are not informed within a reasonable 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 what happened. 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 talk to the other person’s insurance company. That would be a good time to tell them that you are represented by a good traffic ticket attorney and then give them our number.

Traffic accidents are often costly, even when the vehicles are covered by car insurance. First, you must pay your insurance deductible, which is usually $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’re in a car accident because most insurance companies quickly increase your insurance rates, typically by hundreds of dollars per year, if you file a car accident claim.

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 potentially miss time from work. This may not be a big deal 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 it can be devastating, especially for families. .

The Florida Highway Patrol that responds to accidents is basically acting as an informer 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 may vary depending on why the driver is cited. For example, many traffic 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 traffic 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 one in years, be careful. No matter how cautious you are behind the wheel, sometimes it just takes a momentary lapse in 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 on the part of another person can quickly turn your problem into their problem.